


Tae Joon Park - hacker extraordinaire, hopeless romantic

by MoonTearChild



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Camboy mirage, Explicit Sexual Content, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, crypto is still a hacker, elliott witt is a popular guy, nerd/prep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:21:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 45,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22564675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonTearChild/pseuds/MoonTearChild
Summary: It was supposed to be easy, discreet; a quick way to make money. And, in truth, it was - at least for the first few months. Tae Joon Park sat at his desk, staring at his laptop screen blankly. He was promised that his work life and private life would not mix, and yet here he was, staring down at the profile he had been sent. Elliott Witt.------------------------------Tae Joon Park is a normal man. He got into college on a scholarship, lives with his sister and likes video games. He's also a hacker for a highly illegal international informant company. Everything is fine, he does what he has to do to survive. Until one day he gets a contract that's a little too close to home - and then he has a choice to make.
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Comments: 69
Kudos: 239





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ever fall in love with the FBI agent in your laptop? Yeah this is exactly what this is about.

It was supposed to be easy, discreet; a quick way to make money. And, in truth, it was - at least for the first few months. Tae Joon Park sat at his desk, staring at his laptop screen blankly. He was promised that his work life and private life would not mix, and yet here he was, staring down at the profile he had been sent. Elliott Witt. Student by day, barkeep by night. He runs a sweating hand through his hair, sighing heavily. Of course he had never actually _spoken_ to the man, but they were in the same engineering class, and that was enough of a boundary that he didn't want to cross.

The money was good, almost too good to pass up, after all, rent didn't come cheap, and groceries were always few and far between even with the extra cash. Eyes closed, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Who on earth could possibly want info on _Elliott_ of all people?! Yeah, the guy was cocky, a bit too sure of himself, but surely not enough to warrant a complete invasion of privacy? He finds it ironic that he's questioning it, considering he would be the one carrying out the search. Tae Joon searches his brain for possible incentives and finds none, so he searches the chat screen instead, eyes flicking back and forth with practiced ease behind his yellow tinted glasses. 

**Client leaves no motives, are you in or not?**

A hand on his shoulder sends him reeling to the side, arm up and ready to strike at the intruder-

"Yo, chill!" Comes a laugh, bright red hair filling his vision. Mila leans over his shoulder, reading the chat logs that were bound to be deleted, whether he took the job or not. She lets out an appreciative whistle. "Nice figure, gonna take it? We could finally eat something other than cup noodles, at least for a while." 

Guilt swells in his chest at that, and he hums in thought, her jobs as a freelance programmer were few and far between these days.

When Mila had found out about his side job, she didn't at all have the reaction he had expected. He thought she'd get mad, yell that his scholarship was in danger, but no. 

He still vividly remembered the day when he had come home from a three hour class, hands still covered in oil and muck from the workshop, swinging open his door with the intent to do nothing more than sleep for the foreseeable future, and Mila was sat at his desk. He ran over and slammed the lid on his laptop, reaction akin to that time she had found those raunchy files on his hard drive. Man, he'd never hear the end of it from her. 

"Tae, this is amazing! You're like Neo!" She exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder and excitement. 

"Babo hajima, I'm still a nobody." At his dismissal, she rolls her eyes.

"So was Neo, at first. Then he became a badass dude with a gun and a dope coat, it can happen!"

They had bought take out that night, chatting about the specifics over cheap, greasy food and smiling more than they had done in months. They would finally be able to pay rent on time, afford food, live a little. 

"Hey, you with me?" Her hand waves in front of his face, drawing him from his thoughts. 

"Ya, joesonghabnida. Just thinking." He takes off his glasses, wiping them down with the fabric of his shirt. 

"Tae Joon, what's wrong? You've never hesitated like this over a job before." Mila grabs the back of his chair, spinning him around to face her. Damn, she has that determined face on again, there was no worming his way out of this one. He shrugs, trying to buy himself time to put together an excuse. But then he stumbles over his words, and settles for shaking his head.

"It's nothing. When did you get home, anyways? You're early." 

Mila sneers. "And you're avoiding the question, but I'll bite. I got dismissed." 

Tae Joon's eyes widen, but she waves her hand before he can speak. "The shop closed early, family emergency! I didn't get fired!" 

He breathes a sigh of relief, laughing slightly.

"Don't scare me like that, jegil you had me worried." He pushes her playfully. "Yeah, I'll take the job. Been able to get any side work?" 

His question draws a groan from her, and he stands, stretching, and catches her just in time to see her eyes roll. Mila had not been as lucky as him, ending up working shifts in the local cafe just to help pay the bills when commissions were sparse. But she held no malice, encouraging him to pursue his education, and that almost made him feel twice as guilty.

"Have I hell. Honestly, it's like no one's even seeing my stuff!" She huffs, shifting her bag strap on her shoulder. "Take out tonight?" She asks, smirking. 

"Why, you offering to buy?" He quips back, nudging her playfully until she nearly topples over.

"You're the one with the big bucks! We could eat like kings for weeks with that!" She gesticulates with her hands, arms waving in a grand ark.

"Not yet, I don't get the money until the job is done, you know this." He pauses when he sees his sister pout, and crumbles. "Fine. Just this once." 

Mila lets out a whooping cheer, bouncing on the balls of her feet with a dopey grin on her face. 

"You're the best, Tae!" She exclaims, turning to leave his room with a triumphant sparkle in her eyes.

"You're picking it up!" He yells down the corridor.

"Never mind, I take it back - you suck!" 

He laughs softly, sitting back down at his desk with a heavy breath, scrubbing his hands over his face. Fingers dance across the keyboard, eclipsing in a tap of the enter key, and he sits back, watching as the message comes through as read. Before he can blink, the log is erased, and he's left pondering if his decision was the right one to choose. 

**_Consider it done._ **


	2. Chapter 2

Tae Joon Park starts simple, methodically following the structure he had developed over the last few months of working this job. He starts by searching up his Target's social media and finds it almost immediately, public and laden with followers, not that he is at all surprised - the man looked like a model, even in the plain shirt and sweats he most often wore to class. He scans the bio, extracting the useful data and securing it in a file. Elliott Witt, age 23, currently studying engineering at Apex IMC College. He didn't even try to hide his personal information, foolish, but useful, Tae Joon supposed. He pauses, turning to take another bite of the food from the white carton, humming. This was a good sign. Sure, he already knew that much about the man, but this meant it was likely he was, like most of his previous clients, lax about securing his personal data. He wipes at his mouth with a hum, scrolling through the list of seemingly endless photos of Elliott, mostly selfies of him and other people he recognised from school. The man was good looking and he damn well knew it - how obnoxious. 

He scanned each photo for anything important, places he liked to frequent, signs, any minute details to add to the report. Other than spending a lot of time at a local coffee shop, one which looked stupidly pretentious, there was nothing else obvious. 

Onto the next phase. A general search of the man's name on the search engine brought up a few results, and most interestingly, a dating profile. Tae Joon scoffs. These were always an interesting read. He clicks the link, curious amusement curling at his lips. He scans it with his eyes while eating, brow furrowing. It had to be a joke, right? The guy joked a lot in class, and his voice was always able to be heard over even what the professor was saying, so maybe it was an elaborate set up? A dare? Tae Joon didn’t know, but it wasn’t important other than the inference from the text that he could add to the file, and so he tapped away at his keys, adding ‘ _values family - possible vantage point?_ ’ to the list. 

Onto the next step.

News articles - as unreliable as they were annoying, but still a basis for greater investigation, he clicks on the first one he can find. It brushes at the back of his mind about the strangeness that Elliott would even get an article written about him at all, but he simply pushes forward, eyes flickering longingly at the take out carton at the side of his desk every once and awhile. ‘ _Work first, then food._ ’ he scolds, forcing his attention back to the screen despite his stomach’s protests. The news was vague and incredibly dated, simply stating that Elliott had gotten into college, following in the footsteps of his mother as an ingenuous engineering apprentice with a lesser known local firm. It was just as he had suspected; the source was useless. After all, they’d been in college now for nearing on two years, what little he already knew about the man just from suffering in the same class as him had outweighed what this so-called ‘dedicated reporter’ knew by tenfold. But it’s the last line that catches his focus.

**When faced with the opportunity to engage in an interview, the local genius Evelynn Witt refused to give comment about the currently unknown to authorities state of her son’s whereabouts. Could all not be as it seems within the Witt household?**

Oh, _interesting_ . Add ‘ _missing brother_ ’ to the list of viable intel, check. Things were going well, already he had several notable angles to work from and so with a satisfied sigh, Tae Joon leans back in his chair and stretches. 

“Tae, get in here, it’s starting!” Comes a yell from their living room, making him crack a smile.

“Ya, jjamkkanman gidaliseyo!” He shouts back, grabbing at the food carton and rolling back his chair to stand, quickly powering down the monitor and turning on his heel. Shoving a load of noodles into his mouth, he spies Mila on the couch, sprawled out in one of his many shirts and a pair of bleach stained, threadbare sweatpants. “That looks familiar.” He says pointedly between chews, making her grin devilishly. 

“I have no idea what you mean. Now sit down, dumbass, you’ve already missed the first minute.”

“What?! Rewind it!” Tae Joon exclaims, fumbling for the remote to no avail - Mila’s slender hand grabbing hold of it mere milliseconds before he does.

“Mmmmnope.” She sings, watching with glee as her younger brother huffs, flopping down next to her with a pout. “You know what this is?”

“Quality family time?” He replies sarcastically, shooting her a faux angry side glance. She snorts.

“Other than that, dear sweet baby brother.” She ruffles his hair mocking, making him curse. “This… Is revenge. For stealing my pockeys.”

“They didn’t have your name on them.” He states, taking another mouthful.

“They _so_ did. Right next to the part where it said, ‘ _Tae Joon, don’t eat these, your poor big sister is hungry and was really looking forward to those when she got home._ ’”

He cracks up laughing, warranting a kick to his thigh. “Stop laughing! I was hungry! Famished! I slave away all day at work and you repay me like this?!” Throwing her head back and slapping a palm to her forehead, she fake sobs.

“You came home four hours early and I bought you takeout. I think that more than makes up for it.” He deadpans, grinning at her overexaggerated movements. At this, she cracks open an eye.

“Oh, good point.” kicking her legs over the arm rest, she settles in comfortably again. “Aw man we’ve missed the start. Should I rewind it?”

“Ya.”

“Oh, and can I have some of your shrimp?” She begs, eyeing the seafood in his chow mein carton hungrily.

“No.”

“Come on, you can’t eat it all.” Whining, Mila flops over onto his shoulder, looking up at him with a dimpled grin.

“I can and will, just to prove you wrong. Stealing my shirts I can deal with, but stealing my shrimp is where I draw the line.”

“You jerk.”

“Me jerk? You didn’t even want shrimp!” Tae Joon splutters, knocking into her with a shove of his shoulder. She bumps back into him, hitting the button on the remote to rewind the show.

“Yeah, why buy me some if I can just steal yours?”

“I’m moving out. I hate this house.” Tae Joon jokes, taking the smallest piece of the fish between his chopsticks and holding it out to her. “Don’t say I never give you anything.”

When Tae Joon wakes up, his first thought is that he’s overwhelmingly cold. Second to that, his back hurts. He cracks open an eye, pushing up his glasses that sat crookedly on his face, and groans. He’d fallen asleep in the living room again. Mila snored against his shoulder and he nudges her with a whisper. “Hey, il-eona!” 

Receiving no response, he huffs, shoving her again. “Mila, wake up!”

The redhead groans in response, but doesn’t wake. Tae Joon huffs, fishing his phone from his pocket. Quarter past seven. With a sigh, he stands, making sure his sister wouldn’t hit her head when he did so, and heads to the kitchenette. On the wall was a post-it board, and he checked Mila’s side for her work schedule - off today. With that, he grabs a blanket from the broom cupboard and drapes it over the sleeping woman, brushing some hair out of her face. “yeong-wonhi gajog” 

Pushing the hair out of his eyes, water droplets race down his skin. Tae Joon hums, inspecting the mess of sopping black hair in the mirror with a frown. He needed a haircut, it was starting to reach the back of his neck. Brushing the idea aside, he pulls the towel over his head and begins to dry off. He had a full day of classes today, which left him no time to continue his research until later in the evening. ‘F _air enough._ ’ He thinks, slipping into a pair of black boxer briefs. Padding over to his wardrobe, he pulls open the doors and inspects what’s inside. He pulls a face. ‘ _Jegil, I really need new clothes when this is over!_ ’

Grey skinny jeans, green t-shirt, black hoodie. Nothing new. He pulls on his worn trainers, ties the laces and slides his laptop into his backpack. The clock on his bedside cabinet reads twenty-five to nine and he sighs heavily. Time to go. 

Music blaring in his headphones, Tae Joon walks the streets until he reaches the campus. Instinctively, he avoids the crowds of students, weaving between them with bated breath. Eventually, after what seems like far too long, he reaches the classroom, dropping his bag on the floor with an exasperated huff as he sits down behind his desk.

“Salut, Tae Joon, sleep well?” Comes the gentle accented voice from beside him, making him look up from behind his smudged lenses.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Natalie. Just the usual, you?”

The blonde grins at him, dressed in a cute pastel turtleneck and dungarees, she fiddles with the fingers on her prosthetic arm.

“Oui, have you done the homework?”

It’s then his focus shifts away from the girl next to him, as laughter catches his attention. He looks up as Elliott enters, joking with a group of people he didn’t recognise. Two leave him at the door, and the other follows him inside, continuing the conversation. Tae Joon quickly averts his gaze, heart pounding. 

Perhaps the job was a mistake. He had never been so physically close to a target before, and the sickly feeling of anxiety washed over him. His hand grabs for the bag by his feet and he fumbles, pulling out a stim toy to play with between his fingers. At the back of his mind, Mila reminds him to breathe. This was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

The bell signals the end of class, a loud cheer coming from a person or two which makes Tae Joon flinch. He rolls his eyes and regains his composure.

“Not so fast, kids. Don’t think I haven’t forgotten. Your project reports are due in next week, along with the worksheets I have emailed out to you on your student emails. I want them in sharp on that deadline.” The teacher calls out from the front. Tae Joon curses softly under his breath, adding that to the mental list of things to work on alongside his own current _extracurricular_ research project. At the thought, his eyes snap over to the man in the front corner, discreetly as he can manage.

Elliott throws his head back at a joke, laughing from his place reclined casually on the uncomfortable chair, always managing to look like he belongs. “And that means you, Renee, I see you pretending not to see me there!” Comes the professor's voice again, making the woman next to Elliott shrink away with a huff. Interesting.

“Earth to Tae? Hello?” Comes the brightly coloured synthetic hand waving in front of his face, making him jump.

“Jegil- Nat, hi.” He quickly averts his eyes.

“Desolee.” She giggles, watching as he moves, busying himself with his bag on the floor and fiddling with the straps. After a moment, he grabs the bag and looks back up at her. “I was wondering if you were busy today?” Clutching her folder to her chest, she smiles warmly at him and he pauses. Really, he should go home and work on his classwork so he could get to the next stage of his contract, but he was interested why Natalie was asking. 

“Not really, why?” He slings the backpack over his shoulder, eyeing the shorter woman in front of him curiously. 

“I was thinking we could go get some coffee or something? We could discuss the work set too.”

“Sounds good, Nat. Lead the way.” He smiles at her, watching her turn and following in her footsteps towards the door. 

The door right next to where Elliott and his friends are sat.

“Oh, hey Wattson!” 

Tae Joon has to physically restrain himself from letting his brows shoot up to his hairline - Natalie knew Elliott Witt? The all too familiar feeling of panic washes over him, stiffening his muscles until he’s stuck in place, trying his damndest to stop his breathing from becoming too noticeably distorted. 

“Bonjour, Elliott!” 

If Natalie was friends with Elliott, he couldn’t forgive himself for what he was doing. The idea of accidentally hurting someone who his friend was close with was unbearable, but there was nothing he could do. Trying to back out of a contract was something he didn’t want to think about.

‘ _We have ways of dealing with deserters._ ’

As if noticing Tae Joon’s panic, Natalie casually slips her hand against his sweating palm, intertwining their fingers. A gentle squeeze to his hand breaks him from his panic enough to let her drag him out the door into the seclusion of the corridor. “Breathe.” Her soft voice soothes him, and his mouth opens but he is unable to speak, the words catching in his throat. Natalie didn’t know about his job. If this is the way he had to find out, he would never be able to face her again. “You got this, Tae. Just take your time.” 

Eventually he comes around enough to slow his breathing, swallowing thickly.

“Gamsahabnida, Natalie.” He mumbles, looking to the floor.

“Of course, Tae, I get it.”

‘ _You really don’t_ ’ He thinks bitterly, and sighs.

“Wattson?”

“Oh, oui. Just a silly nickname.”

“I didn’t think you guys were friends.”

“Oh, we’re not… I tutored him last year, he’s a sweet boy.” She waves her hand casually and Tae Joon physically softens. So he was safe.

“Anyway, coffee?” He asks, and she nods, grinning as she turns.

“Allons-y!”

  
  


They sit at a table far in the corner, the quiet atmosphere welcoming them both as they settled in, depositing folders and notebooks onto the table to look at should they need them. 

“Ew, look at that dork. And Natalie, hey Nat.” Tae Joon’s head snaps up from where he was setting his bag down against the leg of the table.

“Mila? What are you doing here?” He asks, brows pinching in confusion. When he looked at her rota, he could have swore she was off today.

“Oh, bossman was short staffed so I agreed to come in for a while, no biggie.” She shrugs, “Now order, I look at your face enough at home.” Mila grins, pulling out a notepad and a pen. Tae Joon orders their usuals, handing over the exact cash and watches as his sister walks away, singing loudly to the song on the radio. Tae Joon grins, turning to Natalie who has remained silent and is coincidentally looking out of the window next to her. 

“She’s single you know.” He teases, laughing as the girl across from him gasps, face darkening as she scrambles to cover her blushing cheeks.

“Shuuush!” Natalie squeaks out, making Tae Joon laugh harder in response.

“What’s so funny, kids?” Mila asks, setting down the mug of heavily done up hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream, marshmallows and chocolate sauce and a plain green tea for her brother.

“I didn’t order a deluxe.” He deadpans, looking at the impressively sized mug of hot chocolate.

“Shut up, I’m not charging you extra. Now get on with your work.” Mila tuts, lifting a hand to ruffle his hair.

“Agh, Mila! Stop!” He groans, trying to bat her hand away.

“Not until you stop being so grumpy, baby brother!”

“Okay, okay!” He groans, rolling his eyes and readjusting his glasses. Satisfied with having annoyed her brother enough, she shoots them a peace sign before flipping the drinks tray under her arm and walking back off to the kitchen. “See! She’s so into you!”

“No way-”

“Seriously, she never shows off like that, Natalie.”

“Tae, work!”

Between talking about the specifics of the work set in class and frequent breaks to drink, the pair laugh and joke about whatever comes to mind, naturally falling into conversation. 

“How have things been at home?”

“Incroyable! Papa says I’m getting better at talking to people, and that I’ll be taking over in no time.” Natalie beams, her smile infectious so that Tae Joon can’t resist joining in.

“That’s great, Nat.”

He often thinks how lucky he is to have met someone so amazing as Natalie. She was always so kind, so warm and happy - and she understood him well, with them both having similar needs and sensitivities. She could always tell when he needed calming, when his non-verbal flares would begin to rear their head, and knew just how to coax him through. 

“What about you? Found work yet?”

“Not exactly.”

  
  


Tae Joon groans, letting the comfort of his plush bed soothe his tiredness, an arm slung over his eyes as he tries to work up the energy to get up and continue working. Falling asleep on the couch had really messed up his sleep schedule, he was extremely tired today after classes and social interaction, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep until the next morning.

‘ _But the sooner you get started, the sooner you get paid._ ’ His mind reminds him and he huffs, lazily moving to a sitting position and dragging himself over to his computer chair. He rubs at his eyes under his glasses as the device boots up, the quiet hum of the computer fan filling the room. 

There was no way Tae Joon would be able to find any more information worth putting into the report from simply web articles and social media. No; it was time to move onto phase three. He was going to hack into Elliott’s computer. Double clicking on an icon in the corner of his desktop and inputting the authorisation password, Tae Joon loads up the console to a program of his very own design - one he had used countless times to infiltrate personal data from previous clients. He adds the necessary data, and hits start. Code compiles on the screen, and then, after a moment, his computer boots up again, this time displaying the words ‘ _Welcome, Elliott_ ’ across the loading screen. 

Tae Joon blinks in surprise. It usually took at least a few attempts to crack the system, but this was almost instantaneous. Not that he was complaining, of course, this made his job much easier. He starts by running a system scan of the documents available on the harddrive, watching the numbers compiling and then setting the search algorithm to filter out anything that could possibly relate to unnecessary schoolwork. He pauses as his finger hovers over the enter button, however, and hums. If Elliott was writing his project report on his personal computer and Tae Joon could decipher it, he could sell it on for extra cash. Sure, it would take more time, individually searching through every file related to their engineering class for intel, but the payout would be worth it. The Syndicate always paid more for valuable intel like this, and from Evelynn Witt’s son, the sum would be huge.

Suspending the application window, he clicks on the first file and begins the search.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that leaving comments or likes is highly encouraged! If you enjoy it, let me know.


	4. Chapter 4

The blaring sound of an alarm assaults Tae Joon's senses, jarring him from sleep as he flails for the off button, smacking his hand against his bedside table for a moment before finally hitting it, flopping back into the warmth of his bed with a groan. He reaches for his glasses, pulling them onto his face as he sighs, simply lying there. He had gathered a lot of intel last night, and had sent off the project file in an encrypted email. Now he had to wait, and soon he would have his payment. He simply spends a moment, thinking about what he was going to buy after rent was taken care of. Some new clothes, perhaps, and some good food, that he could cook with, instead of cheap microwave meals...

But for now, he had to get up. He throws back the covers with a sigh, planting his feet firmly against the floor, trying to will himself to stand. He was tired, still and wanted nothing more than to spend the day in bed, but no, he had class again this morning - but at least it was only one class today. 

His legs carried him through the halls, reluctant and sluggish, until he reaches the doorway of his class workshop. Stepping inside, he goes to walk to his desk as usual, but collides with something hard. His bag falls to the floor, along with some books from it, due to its half unzipped nature. 

"Shit! Sorry, sorry, that was on me. You good?" 

The familiar wave of panic washes over him, stealing away his voice as Elliott comes into focus, holding up his hands in an apology. Tae Joon's mouth is dry as he takes in the man's outfit; sweatpants that sat crooked on his hips and a crop top which left much of his abdomen on display, Elliott bends down, picking up Tae Joon's things and holds them out to him with a wink. “Here.”

Once he regains control of his arms, he takes the books, shoving them into his rucksack with a curt nod, and scurries away to his table. His skin felt hot and prickly with electricity, and he looks to the ground, willing himself to calm down. He just knew his face was red, and the sooner he could regain his composure the better. Or even more preferably, the sooner this class finished, the sooner he could go home.

“Okay class, settle down!” Comes the professor’s voice, drawing his attention to the front of the room. “A reminder, before class starts, that your project is due in next week-” The rest of the teacher’s sentence is cut off when Tae Joon hears Elliott speak.

“Good thing mine’s all finished.” The man gloats, making the hacker tut. If only he knew.

“Wonderful, Elliott, as always. Now, as a second matter of business - Tae Joon!” 

He nearly jumps out of his seat when his name is called, looking up nervously. “Have you seen Miss Paquette today?”

He shakes his head, turning to look at the empty seat next to him with a huff once attention was averted from him. Fantastic, this lesson was going to be fun.

  
  


A notification tone signals Tae Joon’s attention, and he reaches for his phone without averting his eyes from the code compiling on the screen, managing to grab it almost first time. He swipes the screen, seeing a notification from Elliott's social media page he'd marked to keep tabs on from now on, and clicks it. In it, Elliott was posing, skin sheen from sweating, that same top from earlier making an appearance, practically clinging to him. Tae Joon scoffs, rolling his eyes despite the flush that comes to his face, brushing it off about the earlier interaction. Its then the lettering on the shirt catches his eye, making him hum.

"Mila!"

"Yeah?" She yells from the other room.

"What does ' _thot_ ' mean?" 

"What?!" Comes her voice, closer now, as she peeks a head around his door, almost cackling with laughter. 

"Wait- Do I wanna know?" Tae Joon groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. His sister was always much better with social things like this, and so he always went to her if he was confused. "I thought it might be a brand."

"Well, I mean, if you look at it that way-"

"Mila, come on, this is important!" He huffs, making her laugh.

"Okay, okay, it means 'that ho over there', but most people take it to mean-"

"Why would anyone _want_ to call themselves a slut?" Tae Joon splutters, drawing more laughter from his sister. 

"I dunno, but good for them! Enjoy whatever weird thing you're looking at right now, baby brother." She slings a hand up, "Want me to shut the door so you can have a little privacy?" Mila jokes, making him groan loudly.

"jinjihage, ib damul-eo!" 

"I love you too! And anyways, I'm going out tonight so you have the house, no wild parties!" She yells, retreating back to the living room with a laugh. Tae Joon huffs, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his chair, staring down at the picture on his phone. Did Elliott go to the gym often? Was that something worth notating on his file? He swallows thickly. Elliott was well built, lean with broad shoulders and clearly well defined muscles, as the shirt that stopped just below his pecs pointed out. His eyes follow downwards, to the natural trail of hair that started at the man's navel and progressed lower, to-

Tae Joon turns off his phone. He had to get back to work.

He decides to hack into Elliott's computer again, keen to search for more important data which he could sell to the syndicate in order to pay his rent for the next few months, and hums in thought. He'd pretty much exhausted all the files on the computer, having stayed up until an ungodly time last night searching each one until he'd found what he was looking for. And then the idea hits him, and his hands begin to dance across the keyboard, programming in a new algorithm to his interface. He'd use it to search through Elliott's internet history, find the most visited sites and review them manually from there. Easy. No sooner had the idea formed, he was done, pressing enter to begin the task. And now, he waited. But having already ate, and worked past his tiredness, he was left with nothing to do. A quick glance at his phone's notes showed him he had no assignments to do, and so he minimised the window and loaded up his favourite game. 

"A few rounds won't hurt." He smiles to himself, having already heard the front door close, indicating Mila had left and he was officially alone. Tae Joon watched as his character loaded up onto the screen, a level two hundred and fifty six healer, and before he knows it, he's absorbed into the game, reaching for his headset to fight a new boss with some allied teams.

He leaves the game, for just a moment, to go to the bathroom, and when he returns, a drink in hand, he sits down at his desk with a yawn. ' _Just one more game._ ' He thinks to himself, readying up again, and then he's pulling on the headset again, sucked back into the thrill of battle. 

Mid match, however, a text window interrupts his attack, causing his character to die. "Jegil! Suppose the fun's over." He groans, closing down the game window with a small sigh. Pulling up the interface brings a list of websites, and so Tae Joon begins the process of manually searching through them, skipping the most recent. After all, Tae Joon already knew just what his social media entailed. The second one, however, was unfamiliar, and so he clicked on the link. Greeted with ' _Hello, Elliott Witt!_ ', Tae Joon scans the site for any trace of what it could be for, until he comes across an inventory window for… Alcohol? Too much alcohol for one person to drink, Tae Joon realises this must be for the bar he works at. But why would a simple bartender be in charge of ordering the stock? Unless… 

Tae Joon scrambles to pull up the file, cursing to himself. Elliott _owned_ the bar. Of course, it was obvious! There was no listed number for a manager to call on the establishment’s website, so clearly he had gone through great lengths to hide the fact that he owned the place he worked at, but why? Typing almost frantically to detail his revelation, he mumbles to himself unintelligibly.

“Well hello mysterious stranger who for some reason has access to my computer.”

“Fuck!” Tae Joon’s eyes widen as panic washes over him, freezing his hands A quick glance at his mic revealed that, yes, he had indeed forgotten to mute it. And now, he had been caught due to his own carelessness.

“Yeah, not good for you to be caught, I guess. What are you, some kind of hacker? Gonna steal my credit card details or something?” Comes the voice through his headphones, making him splutter.

“No.”

“Sounds like something a hacker would say.”

“I’m not a hacker.” Tae Joon isn’t even sure why he’s arguing with the man right now, as if he hadn't been caught red handed.

“But you hacked into my computer, so I’m not le-li-liab… I don’t believe you. What’s your name, huh?” Elliott asks him, and he can’t help but roll his eyes. Sure, his mistake was stupid, but he wasn’t about to further compromise his security by telling the man his name. He was more than lucky he had never actually _spoken_ to Elliott, otherwise he might have recognised his voice.

“And why would I tell you that?” He counters, raising a brow as he resumes typing on the file, deciding to make the most of the situation and distract the man for long enough to continue gathering information.

“I figured since you were snooping around my personal information I should get to know. But I get it, it’s fine.” Elliott’s voice is level, almost uninterested.

“You’re oddly calm about this.” Tae Joon points out, looking up from his keyboard with furrowed brows. Surely, if his personal information was at risk, he would have done something, or at least demanded him to stop, as redundant that would have been. Did he not think he was a threat?

“I could use the company. And while you’re here, wiretap, could you use your magic to pull up the answers for this worksheet?” The man laughs, and Tae Joon’s mind goes back to the beginning of the day, that wink that Elliott had given him. He feels his face flush, and he can’t help but scoff.

“Seriously?”

“You kind of owe me.” Elliott hums, and Tae Joon lets out a frustrated groan. Either this guy wasn’t scared of him, or he was an idiot. There was no way he was going to give him the answers to the work that he’d already done, and spent hours on with Natalie the other day.

“Fine.”

“Woah, sweet, thanks man!” Elliott exclaims, watching as a document was pulled up on his screen which contained the answers to the worksheet set in their class the other day. ‘ _It’s only to keep him distracted while I work._ ’

Continuing his documentation of the new information he’s found, the man on the other end of the ‘call’, if it could be called that, was also silent - for a moment, as he copied down the answers. “Oh, Wiretap, you’re a lifesaver!”

“Don’t mention it.” Tae Joon mumbles, rolling his eyes. His time was running thin, he had to hurry, or else-

“No, seriously, you’ve saved my skin. You have no idea how much of a hardass my professor is, and with me up all last night working at the bar? Man, I was wrecked. And then I had class this morning, even though I finished my shift at four AM, so-”

Tae Joon glares at the screen, as if that would have any effect on the man’s rambling, and pinches his nose under his glasses. This was going to be a long process if Elliott wouldn’t _shut up_. "But enough about me. I bet a cute guy like yourself is chock full of juicy secrets."

The remark catches Tae Joon off guard, making his fingers fall flat on the keyboard as he processes exactly what the man had said. He was… _Flirting_ with him? With the man who was hacking into his computer?

"And what makes you think I'll share them?" He finds himself replying, much to his own surprise. 

"Oho, you're mysterious huh? Gotta keep up that persona, I get it, I get it."

"And besides, how would you know if I'm cute or not." Tae Joon prods further, rolling his eyes.

"You sound cute." Comes his reply, as if it was simple, and the hacker chokes on his words, skin darkening. "Not immune to compliments under that cool facade though, huh?"

"Dagchyeo!" He huffs, making Elliott laugh and, oh. His laugh was right in Tae Joon's ear. "I'm leaving!" 

"Aw, okay. Come back any time, sugar." Elliott's voice is lilted, teasing, and once again the wink springs to the forefront of Tae Joon's mind as he rushes to disconnect the headset.

"Stupid, baegchi!" He scolds, throwing his hands up in frustration as he stands from his computer, turning around to pace. All because of one small mistake, he had compromised his and Mila's safety - what if someone came after him? What if someone hurt her? If news were to reach the Syndicate, he could be killed, or worse, hunted. Made to run like a scared animal. 

He fights the panic clawing its way up his throat, running a sweating hand through his hair as his chest shakes with uneven breaths. ' _Think rationally._ ' Elliott hadn't seemed to recognise his voice, that was good. If he could remain anonymous, he could continue to search for more valuable intel while placating him with small talk. And the man was quick to open up about himself, perhaps he could find information through him he wouldn't be able to get on his computer? That seemed like the most viable option. 

Behind him, his computer chimes, signalling a notification from his programming algorithm. He turns, confused. 

**Mirage is going live!**

"Huh?" 

The notification was from another website he didn't recognise, and Tae Joon was overcome with curiosity. Mirage? He sits back down, apprehensively at first, and then pulls the mouse closer, clicking the link it provided. He's brought to a site that looks sleek and professional, almost like a streaming page with a chat along the side firing away at fast speeds. And in the centre of the screen, there sits Elliott, wearing his attire from the picture and the class this morning, one leg crossed over the other, sat on his bed. The room behind him is neat, the soft glow of overhead lights painting his skin a pretty colour. He's reading the chat, laughing and replying to whatever it is people have to say, and Tae Joon furrows his brow in confusion, simply watching.

"Well, hello all you lovely people out there, hope your day is going good, because it's sure as hell about to get a whole lot better. Mirage here to save the day- or night, if that's what's happening where you are, of course." He smooths a hand through his curls, winking at the camera in a practiced movement that makes Tae Joon's heart flutter nervously. It was as if he was looking right at him. "Now, you know how it goes, donate to the markers, and I'll take a little something off." His hand points at the virtual tip jar at the corner of the screen as he grins, and Tae Joon stiffens in shock. _Oh._ Blood rushes to his face, hand stuck hovering over the mouse as he watches the screen, wanting to leave the man to his privacy but at the same time feeling so eager to stay and see what would happen. As he debates the dilemma, Elliott grins at the camera, "And the first checkpoint has been reached! Suppose I should hold up on my end of the bargain, hmm?" His voice drops low at the end, the grin turning salacious as his hands reach for the hem of the crop top, pulling it over his head until his pecs are exposed. He runs a wandering hand down the expanse of his chest, pausing at the waistband of his sweatpants. "Keep it going, if you wanna see more." 

Tae Joon's skin burns in shame as he stares, mouth agape watching the man he knew from class so freely exposing himself like this. He yells at himself to leave, to forget what he saw and sleep, but the stirring beneath his jeans says otherwise, and he bites his lip, ashamed. "My my, you're eager tonight." Elliott hums, laughing huskily as he plays with the rim of his pants, lifting it and snapping it back against his skin before tugging them down as discarding them out of frame. The pair of yellow briefs that he's wearing underneath tear the air from Tae Joon's lungs, the fabric hugging Elliott's skin perfectly and accentuating everything perfectly. He was half hard under the material, the fabric beginning to tent slightly as he runs his fingers along the edge of the underwear teasingly. The chat runs wild with requests for him to turn around, and with a hefty donation, Elliott is quick to obey, sitting on his haunches with his back to the camera, looking over his shoulder and sliding a hand down to cup his ass with a cheeky grin. He shakes his hips tantalisingly, and Tae Joon licks his lips, mouth suddenly rather dry. "Come on, baby, you know you want to see more." 

The speakers chime as the last of the tip jar is filled, and Elliott grins, winking at the camera. "I thought so. You can't get enough of me, huh? I can fix that, at least, for a little bit." He drags the fabric of his underwear down, agonisingly slow, revealing skin and stopping just as the material sits under his ass, holding the pose for a second before turning to face the camera once more. The line of his hips was visible now, as well as the coarse dark hair on his pubic bone, dick still trapped in his underwear, just barely restrained. "Mmm, fuck I'm so hard." He moans, sliding the offending article down until they pool around his knees, and he kicks them off, grabbing his dick and giving it a quick tug. Elliott looks up at the camera though his lashes, biting his plush lip with a moan as he pulls back his foreskin, circling the head with his thumb and collecting the precum that beaded there to slick down his shaft. "Fuuuck!" He groans, bucking up slightly into his fist before reluctantly letting go, reaching over to the side, off screen to grab something. 

"Jegil, what have I gotten myself into?" Tae Joon curses, eyes flickering away from the screen as he removes his glasses, rubbing a hand over his face with a groan. When Elliott is back in frame, he positions himself on the edge of the bed, legs perched on the side, spread wide to show everything off as he uncaps a bottle of lube, drizzling it from a height over his eager flesh. 

"Mmph, you wanna see me touch my cock, huh? Wanna see me jerk myself off?" Elliott asks the camera, sliding a closed fist over his length as he bucks up into the tightness with a moan, speeding up his movements until his chest is heaving with his gasps, and he forces himself to let go, denying his orgasm. "Fuck baby, I wanna cum so bad. But I've got to have your cock in me." He whines, reaching for the lube again and pouring it over his fingers. "I'm so tight, it might not fit. Fuck, it looks so big." He teases his hole, rubbing the substance over until he can comfortably slip in a finger, crooking it with a gasp. Tae Joon watches, enraptured in the way Elliott's body moves, how his stomach muscles contact as he breathes and his cock bobs when he rocks his hips down onto his fingers, hands reaching for the button on his own jeans and tugging them down hastily once it was undone, underwear following soon after. He was so hard, he could barely stand it, the tightness coiling in his gut almost unbearable, and the drag of skin over skin makes him groan, throwing back his head, eyes closing. 

"Baby, please, fuck me. I want your cock inside me, p-please, o-oh, fuck!" 

When Tae Joon reopens his eyes, he has to squeeze the base of his cock to stop himself from cumming too soon. Elliott is sliding down onto a dildo, thick and ridged, and it looks simply divine as it pushes inside of him, causing the man's eyes to roll back in his head and several long whines to escape his lips. "Oh, fuck. You feel so good. Please, fuck me. Fuck me hard, please, I want to feel you." 

Everytime Elliott bounced down against the silicone, Tae Joon fucked up into his fist, matching speed until it really felt like he was there, like Elliott's cries were for him. "Fuck, baby, you feel so good inside me. Yes! M-More, more please. F-fuck me harder. Pl-please, please I'm so close." 

"Uhhn, Elliott!" Tae Joon gasps, speeding up his hand as he watched the man on screen take hold of his own cock, which until then had been bouncing, neglected and drooling; and the sounds of precum sliding over his slick flesh was obscenely hot. 

"Come inside me, baby, please. Fill me up, let me feel you… Let me- Fuck!" Elliott moans, throwing back his head as he jerks his cock, stilling on the dildo as he cums, splattering his seed all over his hand and chest. He bounces a few times more, keening at the over sensitivity until it becomes too much.

And then Tae Joon is cumming too, spilling into his closed fist with a strangled cry. He pants, falling back bonelessly into his chair as Elliott's deep, husky chuckle fills his ears. "That was fun." 

The deep seated shame that fills him after isn't fun. He reaches for the computer mouse with a glare at the screen, exiting the window and shutting down his system without a word. He felt sweaty, sticky and disgusting. Shame prickled at the back of his neck as he reached for a tissue and cleaned his hand, throwing it into the waste bin in the corner with a huff. Tae Joon stands, strips himself of his shirt and the pants that were around his knees, changes into a fresh pair of underwear and collapses into bed, falling asleep almost instantly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to like and comment if you enjoyed!


	5. Chapter 5

Tae Joon wakes up before his alarm, rubbing at his eyes with a frustrated sigh. He didn't have a class until midday, and so he simply laid there, thinking. His thoughts take him to what happened last night and his skin flushes, heart hammering in his chest. As much as he wished he could just pretend it never happened, it was unrealistic to hope for. He shifted uncomfortably between his sheets at the memory of Elliott’s moans so clearly in his ears, the flush of his skin and the teasing spark in his eyes as- Yeah, he had to stop, if the stirring in his boxers was anything to go from. He slings an arm over his eyes with a groan. The last thing he needed was for the job to get any more complicated, but this added an entirely new variable to the equation. He had never… Been interested in another guy before. Sure, he’d let his eyes follow some of the men at his college around, but that was just because he admired the way they looked. He wasn’t particularly tall, or handsome, or funny, and he didn’t know how to dress well, but his classes were always a flower bed of pretty boys - he wished he could be more like them, that’s all. 

And with that, he rolls out from under the covers, huffing heavily. He wasn’t going to get back to sleep now, and his stomach growled impatiently. He slides his bare feet into his worn pair of slippers, reaching out for his robe and securing the tie around his waist. It was cold this morning. His almost silent steps stop at the kitchen, as he pauses by the fridge to debate on what to eat. Eggs sounded good, but he didn’t really feel like making a whole meal. He hums, opening the door to grab the eggs and set them on the counter, then turns to pour some coffee grounds into the machine. He needed the energy this morning. Reluctantly, he pulls himself away from the machine that was slowly beginning to heat, and turns back to the stove. Right, food. Getting the frying pan from the cupboard, he adds a dash of oil and lets it heat until it’s spitting, then grabs an egg. Tapping it against the side of the pan, he watches as the hairline crack expands and drops the contents into the oil. 

“Oh, that smells gooood!” Comes a slurred voice from behind him that makes him jump, turning to see his sister giving him a dopey, tired looking smile.

“Ssi-bal, Mila! Some warning next time?!” He nearly yells, clutching at his chest with the hand not holding the spatula. She laughs, having already retrieved his and her mugs, pouring coffee into them.

“Sorry, TJ. You’re too easy to sneak up on. And, you scream like a girl.”

“Do not!” He huffs, a pout curling his lips. “Keep talking and I won’t make you any.”

“Rude.” She replies, faux anger on her features until she cracks him a smile, pulling two plates down from the cupboard above her. It was ridiculous, Tae Joon thought to himself grumpily, Mila barely had to reach for the top shelf, unlike himself. She had always been taller than him, except for a period of time when he was seven, and he still lorded that over her till this day. _And_ she wore platform shoes, the jerk.

“Hungover?” He asks, smiling as he deposits the fried egg onto the plate, yolk still gooey how she liked it.

“What? No, I’m a perfectly responsible adult who knows my limits!”

“Mhm, yeah sure.” He raises his voice, making her flinch and grab at her temples, cursing. He can’t help but laugh at the daggers she glares at him in return. He pushes the plate towards her, wordlessly. “Had fun?” His tone returns to its usual softness, cracking another egg into the pan. She nods, buttering a slice of blackened toast. He cringes in response, but says nothing. ‘ _Gross._ ’ 

“You should seriously come with sometime, TJ, get out of the house for once.” She insists and he discreetly rolls his eyes. Oh boy, this argument again. He preferred to be indoors, and loud music and drunken idiots didn’t sit well with him. And besides, her friends intimidated him, although he would never admit it. He was reluctant to get too close to Mila’s friends, ever since what happened when he was younger… “Earth to TJ? C’mon, it wasn’t a difficult question dude.”

“It wasn’t a question at all. No, I much prefer to stay inside.”

“Fine, but don’t come crying to me when you have no social life. So what did you get up to last night, huh?” Her questioning makes him stiffen, face reddening as he stumbled for an answer.

“O-Oh, nothing much, just… Gaming. Homework.” He hopes he doesn’t look as anxious as he feels.

“Boring! Seriously, TJ. Get some friends, go out places. Maybe then you won’t be single.” He flinches. It was a touchy subject even still for him.

“I have friends! I have Natalie.”

“Friend. Singular. Look, I’m saying this out of love-”

“Mhm.” He sighs, dumping the fried egg unceremoniously onto the plate and turning to the toaster, putting his back to her. Mila sighs, and everything is quiet for a moment before a mug of steaming hot coffee is placed next to him, and she looks repentant at bringing it up. She knew he found it hard to socialise - she was a social butterfly, constantly making new friends and going so many places his head spun but him - he just didn’t understand it all.

“You got class today?” She asks, softer, and he nods. “Alright, Tae, take it easy today.” Her hand squeezes his shoulder, and then she turns to head back to her own room. He sighs into the empty space, taking a sip of the coffee as his lightly done toast popped up from the toaster.

The warmth of the shower was much needed against his grimy skin, clearing his head and getting him prepared to face the day. The towel clings to the wet skin around his waist as he sits down at his computer, inputting the password with water still dripping from his hair. In his notifications was a single email, one from a source he knew all too well. To the average outsider, it looked to be no more than a spam newsletter, but once he downloaded the source info and ran it through his decryption algorithm, he had what he’d been waiting for.

**Information regarding the client Elliott Witt has been received and is currently being processed. Expect a payment shortly for the additional intel provided within the next few days. Continue to work as usual, as failure to do so shall be met with disciplinary measures.**

They were always such hardasses, but the thought of a decent sum of cash waiting in his bank account certainly made his day a little brighter. He hums for a moment, pushing back his sopping hair out of his eyes as he ponders over how much he’ll receive, and then his phone pulls him from his thoughts. He deletes the email and shuts off the computer, discarding the towel on the floor as he stands to grab his phone from his bedside cabinet.

**Nat: Meet me before class starts?**

**TJ: Ya, at the cafe?**

She responds almost immediately, agreeing, and as he pulls out some clothing from his wardrobe, he wonders exactly what she could need to discuss that would warrant her to meet him before class starts. The possibilities leave him nervous, and he tries to ignore his rampant thoughts.

**TJ: OMW, BRT.**

He slips his mobile into his pocket, grabbing at his bag and making sure he has everything he needed for class - and that his zipper was _closed_ this time, before tugging on his shoes and stepping into the living room. 

“I’m leaving early, don’t forget to take your medication!” He yells towards Mila’s room, exiting the apartment. The cafe was just a short walk away, and so he didn’t bother with his headphones, simply opting to weave through the throngs of people on the streets to get to the location quicker. He sees Natalie sat by the window in their usual spot, and she waves at him through the glass with a smile. He can’t help but grin back, shouldering the door open and setting his bag down near the table.

“Annyeong, something wrong, Nat?” He slides into the seat opposite her and she pushes a mug of green tea to him. It was her turn to buy the drinks today, and she had no trouble ordering now that Mila wasn’t working.

“Non, I just wanted to explain my absence yesterday. Papa and I started on a new project and… Well, I got carried away working. Next I knew, the sun was rising and I forgot to sleep.” She smiles sheepishly, and a faint blush dusts her cheeks. “But I did not want to admit that to the professor, you know how they are…”

“So you want me to back you up?”

“If they ask, oui. I don’t want you to get in trouble, but-”

“Don’t worry about it.” He takes a long sip of his drink, humming at the warmth it gave him. Today was Friday, which meant he had the weekend to relax once this class was taken care of. He could do with the free time to sort though his thoughts, plan his next steps and execute them according to whatever he thought up.

“We should go, mon ami, I’d rather not be late.” Natalie points out, and a quick check at his phone makes him hum in agreement. It was barely half eight, but he knew the idea of being late made the girl extremely anxious and so he grabbed his things, holding the door open for her. 

Tae Joon pushes his glasses up his nose, gnawing at his lip anxiously. Whatever his professor was talking about right now just wasn’t sinking in, and he found it difficult to keep his eyes so close to the front of the classroom without them drifting off to the side, glancing over at the man that sat there paying attention to the lecture. Unlike him. He just knows his face is red, and he’s honestly trying to concentrate, but when Elliott shifts in his seat, all Tae Joon can think of is the chorus of moans from the stream last night, and before he can process it, the blood in his head is rushing south; as if it wasn't already hard enough to concentrate.

The feeling of his phone buzzing in his pocket makes him jump, and he has to stop himself from calling out in surprise. He grabs at the device, pulling it out under the table where he hoped the professor couldn’t see.

**Mila: Game on 2nite?**

He can’t help but roll his eyes at her grammar. True, he used abbreviations wherever possible, but even he wasn’t opposed to typing properly when it was required.

**TJ: Ya.**

He can’t help but let his eyes drift back over to Elliott, who by the looks of it, was also messing about on his phone, though the teacher hadn’t noticed.

**Mila: Cool, buy me Stim?**

Tae Joon rolls his eyes, deciding not to grace his sister with a response, he turns his phone back off and slips it into his pocket. Half an hour left of the lecture, then he could leave.

  
  


“Finally, you’re back!” Mila cheers, eagerly accepting the can of energy drink he handed to her as he dropped his bag by the door. “C’mon, I’ve already loaded it up, hurry and get in the party so we can kick some ass!”

“Glad you’re feeling better.” Tae Joon replies teasingly, making the woman grin. 

“I will once I get this into me, now lets gooooo!” Turning on her heel, she practically skips to her bedroom, leaving him stood behind near the front door with a laugh. ‘ _It’s only two in the afternoon, I have plenty of time to kill. Why the hell not?_ ’ He thinks to himself, and kicks off his shoes, discarding them near his bag and beginning the trek to his computer. It had been a while since he and Mila had the chance to play together, with his classes and copious amounts of homework and Mila’s busy job schedule conflicting, they hadn’t really been able to spend much time together. He was actually a little excited. The game had been much harder without his sister to cover his fights, after all, a healer without a tank was like bread without butter. He quickly logs on, loading up the game and pulling on his headset to join the party she had set up for them. This was going to be fun.

“Alright, I’m done for the night.”

“Seriously? It’s barely seven o’clock, TJ, what are you, eighty?”

“Mila, I’m tired, we can play more tomorrow.” He whines, rolling his eyes. She could be so childish sometimes, but he honestly didn’t mind, even if he pretended he did.

“Alright, nerd. Get some sleep then, I’m holding you to that promise.”

“Don’t stay up too late - joh-eun kkum.” He yawns, disconnecting from the party. Idly, he sits back in his chair, scrubbing a hand over his face. Yes, he was tired, but he could go for longer without sleeping if it meant getting some more work done. More work now meant less to do at the weekend, he reasoned with himself, opening the hacking program. It’s barely a second after he connects that the all too familiar voice greets him.

"Wiretap, you're back! How was work, honey?" Elliott teases, making Tae Joon groan in frustration. He had hoped to get some work done discreetly, but apparently not. 

"You're relentless, and stop calling me that." 

"Only if you tell me your real name."

"Wiretap it is." He really didn’t feel like entertaining Elliott tonight, and while he knows he could just mute himself, or hell, disconnect the headset all together, he finds it slipping his mind as he stares at the search window.

"That's what I thought. Here to collect more information on my oh so interesting life?" Elliott chuckles, making Tae Joon scoff quietly. ' _That's one way to look at it._ ' he thinks, face flushing as the memory of last night plagues his mind again. He decides for his own sanity, it’s safer not to answer. The groan Elliott lets out a few seconds later sends a pang of heat straight to his gut.

"I have a shift tonight, so I can't stay and chat for long, sorry, sugar. Man, I'm so tired. Ajay- she's a friend of mine- said that I shouldn't be working so hard, but really, what can a guy do? I think I'm more active than Octavio, and that guy is always hyped up." Elliott laughs, and then pauses. "Buuut, enough about me. How was your day?"

Tae Joon is caught off guard for a moment, toying with answering and staying silent, but before he can convince himself to have some sense, his mouth is opening.

"Uneventful. Boring. The usual." He replies, keeping it vague enough to not warrant any further investigation.

"Sounds like you need some spice in your life, and turns out I know just the guy. Elliott Witt's the name, nice to meet you… Unless… Damn you probably already knew that, huh?"

"Ya." 

"Okay, tough crowd, yeesh." Elliott huffs, falling silent.

Tae Joon simply sighs in response.

"You're a bartender, correct?" He asks, unsure exactly of why he decided to carry on the conversation when it was distracting him from working.

"Yup, and only the best damn one around Solace city! Come by the paradise lounge some time, I'll buy the drinks." Elliott sounds excited to talk about his work, and Tae Joon’s hands once again still over the keyboard.

"But that would ruin my ' _mysterious cool hacker facade._ '" he quips, using Elliotts own words from yesterday against him. The man laughs.

"Oh, so you do have a sense of humour huh?" His tone shifts, and something about it makes Tae Joon’s stomach flutter. He swallows thickly as his mouth dries, mind rushing to figure out why he felt so anxious all of a sudden. And then it hits him. It was that teasing tone from last night, from the stream, and it was directed at him.

"Why don't you find out?" He croaks out, suddenly feeling like he was vulnerable in some way - and he didn’t enjoy feeling powerless.

"Ooh, a challenge. Okay. I'll bite. Do I get to know a little something more about you in return if I make you laugh?" 

"Maybe." The game he was playing was a dangerous one, but for a reason he couldn’t explain, he felt compelled. He didn’t often laugh at jokes anyway, he reasoned with himself, so making the guy feel secure just to carry on with his work without suspicion could be useful.

"Now that's a challenge I can't turn down. Okay, hmm." Elliott hums, thinking to himself for a minute. Tae Joon drummed his fingertips against the surface of his desk, half in anticipation, half in boredom. "So, a guy walks into a bar, and asks the barkeep for a pina colada, the bartender says sure and then the guy goes ' _can you make it virgin?_ ' And then the bartender goes ' _yes i know how to make it!_ _'_ "

The pause between the two men is palpable. Tae Joon pauses as his mind runs over the words, until they click into place and before he can stop himself, he snorts, a laugh escapes his lips that shocks himself.

"That was awful." He clears his throat, trying to regain is disinterested composure.

"You know what wasn't awful? That laugh. Real cute, Wiretap. And now I get to learn your secrets. Hmmm, what do I ask? "

"I didn't say you could pick." Tae Joon replies hastily, bristling at his own stupidity.

"Do you have a better idea?" Elliott asks him, and Tae Joon squares his jaw. ‘ _Yes, stop distracting me so I can get on with my job._ ’

"...No…"

"That's what I thought.” He thinks for a second more, then clicks his fingers. “Got it! Okay, speaking of virgins - have you ever fucked someone before?" 

Of all the questions he could have asked, this was the one he decided upon? Tae Joon’s face flushes with discomfort and embarrassment.

"...N-No…" At this point, he’s convinced his mouth is working against him somehow. Why didn’t he just _lie_?

"Okay, that's fine, each to their own. Dated anyone?" Tae Joon tuts.

"I also didn't say you can ask more than one question."

"Indulge me."

"No."

“C’mon, Wiretap, this is just a little bit of friendly fun. Fun, between friends… We’re friends, right? And we’re having fun?” Elliott babbles, and Tae Joon lets his head flop back against the headrest of his computer chair, rolling his eyes.

“Fine.”

"Have you ever even had physical relations with another person?"

“What is this? An interview? Yes, if you must know.” His tone sounds defensive, and his face prickles uncomfortably with the heat under his skin. Great, all he needed was another reminder about-

"Oh, man, really? Were they hot?”

"... Why are you so incessant?"

"Okay, I'll back off, sorry." Tae Joon is about to speak but Elliott cuts him off again. ‘ _He’s real good at that._ ’ He thinks bitterly to himself.

"Oh man, look at the time, I gots to go! It's been fun, Wiretap, let's do it again some time. Oh, and I get off at 2, if you're a night owl." The phrasing doesn’t escape his attention, and Tae Joon feels his skin flush deeper, if that’s possible. He’s sure his ears are scarlet right now.

"Bye, Elliott." He mumbles, pushing a few stray hairs out from in front of his face.

"See ya round, sugar."

Disconnecting his headset, Tae Joon lets out a sigh of frustration, stretching to feel the satisfying click in his back. He grabs the mouse again to turn off the computer, setting his glasses down on the worktop. Standing, he sheds his shirt, leaving it on the back of his chair. The cool air of his room smooths over his skin, making him shudder as his hands reach for the button of his pants, undoing it and sliding the fabric down his legs. Left in only his underwear, he heads to his bed, moving back the sheets to lay under them and reaching for his phone. 

‘ _2 AM…_ ’ His brain reminds him, and his eyes glance at the time in the corner of the screen. It was barely eight in the evening. 

Tae Joon messes around idly on his phone, more consumed in his thoughts than anything he’s doing on the device. He lets out a sigh, shifting his position in bed as he comes to a realisation. Elliott had distracted him, and he hadn’t ended up doing any work at all. He turns off his phone, setting it beside him as he pulls the blankets up to his ribs, watching the city lights outside his window light up the street below, and closes his eyes. 

He tries to sleep, but to no avail. 

He’s restless, checking the time every few minutes and shifting around in his bed so often that he’s beginning to get frustrated. He was tired, his eyes were stinging, begging him for rest, but his mind just wouldn’t _shut up_ . Reaching for his phone for what seems like the hundredth time that night, he checks the time. 2:30 AM, and no notifications. What was he expecting? That Elliott would be online again? Streaming as ‘ _Mirage_ ’ after working a six hour night shift? He’s equal parts relieved and disappointed as he puts his phone on its spot on his nightstand, shoving his face under his pillow. 

And then, eventually, he drifts off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a like and comment if you enjoyed so I can keep doing what I love!  
> And yes in this AU there is an energy drink called Stim, which I think is more than fitting lmaoooo


	6. Chapter 6

The sound of a thud from somewhere, beyond his tired mind, rouses him. With a groan, Tae Joon slowly opens his eyes, yawning. Sleepily, he rolls over and checks the time displayed on his alarm clock. 10:30. It wasn't often he got to sleep in, and so he felt groggy, and his mouth was dry. The telltale signs of a headache thrumming at his temples makes him clench his jaw, mind wandering as to what woke him up. He reluctantly leaves the warmth of his covers, feeling the hair on his skin stand up on end as he reaches for a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, quickly tugging them on to fight the cold of the apartment. He grabs for his phone and slips it into his pocket, turning and opening his bedroom door to cautiously survey the living room. Nothing; except…

There was a note on the countertop. He shuffles over to it, eyeing the paper up distrustfully for a second before recognising the tell tale cursive. 

**Hey TJ, have to take a rain check on that gaming session, sorry baby bro! We're short staffed again, you know how it is. See you tonight!**

He sighs, brushing a hand through his messy hair to move it out of his eyes. He was looking forward to spending more time with his sister, but really, what could he do? They needed to work, otherwise they probably would have lost the apartment years ago. He throws the paper into the trash, scratching at his cheek with a grimace. Next stop, the bathroom. He leans heavily on the sink, looking into the mirror with a frown. His hair was too long, and it was starting to get into his eyes, not to mention the fact that it stuck up everywhere. The shadow of stubble was also starting to make an appearance on his jaw, making him sigh. His hand reaches for the hot tap, letting it run for a second before cupping his hands under the water flow to wash his face. He reaches for the razor, squinting, and once he has hold of it, he begins to clean himself up. Tae Joon honestly didn't understand how anyone could deal with facial hair. It was itchy and required too much maintenance, so he much preferred to keep a smooth face, though that didn't stop his skin from protesting occasionally by making him shave three times a week. He scrubs his face again, blindly reaching for a towel due to the water in his eyes. His hand hits several products, tubs and spray cans, and he curses, reminding himself to tell Mila to tidy up the next time she got home. He knew that if he tried to do it himself, she'd whine that he never did it right, and that he needed to stop touching her stuff, so he simply carried on searching.

His mind was preoccupied this morning, wondering what he could do to pass the time until Mila got back. Patting his skin down with the cloth, he hums, lost in thought. Eventually, though, he sets the towel back down on the radiator, turns off the tap and exits the bathroom. First things first, he begins the process of making a cup of coffee. ' _I suppose now would be as good a time as any to do a review on my project._ ' He thinks, tapping his fingers subconsciously against the countertop as the sounds of the liquid in the machine bubbles away beside him. After securing himself a healthy (or rather, not so healthy) sized mug of caffeine, he heads back to his room to sit at his desk, booting up his computer. 

His final project design was for a drone, of sorts. It came equipped with a camera and a few other useful utilities that could scan a structure and identify any technical flaws; short circuits, bugs and glitches - it was a repair man's best friend. And, last but not least, it came with an electromagnetic pulse signal which could force reboot any stubborn systems. Any and all systems could be bypassed with the right knowledge remotely, and if the design was funded by a large company, it could revolutionise repair jobs for everyone, without ever having to leave the work site. His eyes scanned the document, looking for typos or grammatical errors, but his mind was drifting. Before long, he found himself simply staring at the screen, lost in thought. Tae Joon takes a long sip of his coffee, sighing; he was bored.

He finds his hands closing the project folder and instead opening the hacking protocol he'd become so familiar with over the last week. He reaches for the headset, securing it over his ears. ' _I wonder if Elliott is online?_ ' He clicks the button to launch him into Elliott's profile. 

When he hears no immediate indication that Elliott is near his computer, he begins typing, tweaking a line of code.

“Morning, sugar, sleep well?” Comes the all too familiar voice, and Tae Joon can't help but breathe out a sigh. His shoulders slump slightly, posture relaxing as he leans back into his chair with a yawn.

“So so. How was your shift?” He asks in response, reaching for his mug of coffee again, simply holding it between his hands. 

“Oh, pretty good. I got to make a few top shelf drinks, so that was fun.” 

"Oh? I'm uh, unfamiliar with bar terms." Tae Joon admits, quickly taking a sip of his drink and looking away to the corner of his room, where his messy dresser drawers caught his eye all of a sudden. 

"No biggie, it just means a customer paid for the most expensive stuff we stock, so I make a nice profit." The smirk in Elliott's voice is audible, his tone cheerful and light. 

"Oh, interesting." Tae Joon hums, "So it's true you own the bar?" 

"Wh-What? What gave you that idea?" Elliott laughs nervously.

"You said ' _I_ '. I believe it is uncommon for the bartender to get the profits of a sale, correct? Or order the stock for the bar under their own name."

"Oh, you saw that, huh?" Elliott sighs, groaning as he stretches, "Yeah, the bar's mine. Inherited it off my dad when he passed away- I mean, it was meant to go to my brother, but…" He trails off, sitting in silence for a moment before clearing his throat. “What’s your plans for today then, Wiretap?”

Tae Joon could tell Elliott was avoiding the subject, but it felt nice to know that someone cared about him and what he was doing. 

“Nothing, really. You?” He replies, trying to stay nonchalant despite his racing heart. He takes another large sip of his drink to distract himself and nearly chokes on the liquid, coughing a few times, he wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Well, you see, my schedule just got filled up, since a real cute guy said he didn’t have plans, so now I gotta keep him company.”

“You’re too much.” Tae Joon huffs, face darkening in a blush that he just knew was obvious, and he's so grateful that Elliott isn't actually able to see him.

“You love it." Elliott laughs, voice light and lilted. "So, what’s a guy like you do when you’re not being a mysterious hacker?”

There he went again, trying to find out more about him. The pang of guilt Tae Joon feels in his stomach makes him feel nauseous, and he chews at his lip for a moment. He had a job to do, he wasn't there to make friends. The closer to Elliott he got, the harder it would be to carry on selling his personal information to his employers. 

“Not a lot… I’m just a normal guy outside of this all.” Again, he decides to be vague, cryptic, in hopes that it would deter the man, to no avail.

“Whaaat? No way, you’re telling me you don’t have super powers?” Elliott jokes, and Tae Joon can't help but smile in response, messing with his hair to try and keep it out of his eyes. 

“Nope. Just some guy.”

“Well, ‘some guy’, tell me what you do for fun, I know you’re not all serious.” Tae Joon quirks a brow in response.

“Oh? And how do you know that?” He questions, a smile still curling at his lips as he leans forward, resting his chin on his hand that was propped on the desk.

“Because I got a laugh out of you yesterday, so at least you’re not some ela- elab-b… Fuckin’... Fancy AI.” Elliott stumbles over his words, and eventually comes to a compromise, and the hacker can't help but laugh softly.

“Or I’m so elaborately crafted you’ll never know.” Tae Joon teases back, voice dropping an octave. 

“Stop rubbing it in my face, Wiretap, words are hard. Now, hobbies, you’ve got to have at least one.”

Tae Joon thinks for a moment. Hacking would be the obvious answer, but that wasn't a hobby so much as it was his job. Eventually, his brain comes up with a response, but it freezes on his tongue. What if Elliott thought it was dumb? What if he laughed, or worse, pretended to care just to later mock him? Tae Joon hums anxiously, realising he had yet to answer.

“Hmm… I like games.”

“Oh yeah? What kind?”

“MMORPGs.” He mumbles, once again averting his eyes to the safety of the corner of his room.

“No shit, which ones?” Elliott actually sounded pretty interested, and Tae Joon let's his back straighten a little.

“Uh, ‘ _Legends - Apex Predators_ ’.” 

And then his worst fear comes true - Elliott _laughs_. The burning hot coil of shame settles in his stomach, anxiety creeping it's way up his throat as he opens his mouth to try and defend himself.

“No way, my brother used to play that.”

“Why’d he stop?” Tae Joon asks, and the silence that follows makes him panic all over again.

“He uh… He went missing… All my brothers did, actually.”

“Oh.” His stomach drops as he brings a hand to his forehead. ' _You already knew that,_ _baegchi! Way to go- Wait… Did he say 'all'?_ '

“Yeah, real bad business. They were writing to me and my mom one day and the next, we were told they were MIA.” Elliott tries to come across as conversational, but his voice breaks just at the last second, and Tae Joon's heart wrenches.

“I’m sorry, Elliott.” He says, with all the sincerity he can muster.

“Don’t be. It uh… It happens, I suppose. But It just happened three times at once, for me.” 

Tae Joon couldn't even fathom the pain Elliott must have felt, realising there was a chance his siblings were never coming home, and he finds himself swallowing down a lump in his throat, unable to find the words he wanted to say. “Man, that got dark… Sorry, Wiretap, I just…” Elliott trails off again, and although he tries to hide it, the soft sniffing sound as Elliott wipes his nose doesn't escape Tae Joon's attention.

“I understand. I’d never recover if my sister got hurt.” He realises that saying this was perhaps a bad move, but he had never been any good at saying things the way he wanted to.

“Oh, younger or older?” Elliott seemed to perk up at this, and it seemed they had ran full circle back to normal conversation again.

“Older, by two months.”

“Two months?” The man questions, and Tae Joon nods before remembering Elliott couldn't see him.

“We’re foster siblings. I lost my parents when I was a child.” He explains, and a strange sensation overcomes him that he cannot place.

“Shit, man.”

“Ya. I don’t remember it though, so I guess it’s okay.” He continues, chasing the feeling down in his brain and wondering just why he felt so strange. 

And then he realises. This is stuff he had barely glossed over with Natalie, the girl who had been his friend for nearly two years now, and yet he was giving this information to a man he had only known for a week? He knows he should shut his mouth, but something about Elliott's demeanour just makes him feel at ease. And that was rare within itself. “We’re just as close as real siblings, all the fights and everything.”

“And what? You live with like a, uh…”

“It’s just us.”

“Shit, really?” Elliott's tone is disbelieving, and Tae Joon hums an affirmation.

“Ya, that’s why I do what I do. This job, I mean. It’s hard, looking for work, trying to balance-” He pauses, managing to catch himself before he slipped up and mentioned his status as a student, because if he did, Elliott would get curious, and he would start asking questions - and if there's one thing Tae Joon had learned it was that he was unable to avoid staying quiet when Elliott asked him something. “everything.”

And what he didn't expect was for Elliott to let out a groan, agreeing with his sentiment.

“Don’t I know it.” Elliott sighs, “I work at the bar four nights a week, eight til two, I’m a full time student, looking for apprentice work along with…" He hesitates, and before Tae Joon can think why, he continues. "Well, if you’re any good at your job, you’ve seen it. My cam shows, I mean."

His blood runs cold. He wants to vehemently deny having even known about them, but he's too stuck on the words jammed in his throat to protest. Elliott, however, seems unbothered. "My mom, she works hard, but nobody’s in the market for her tech right now, we’re falling behind on rent and I’m trying to make it up as best I can. It’s all thanks to fuckin’ Hammond Robotics, just because they’re a bigger company. Sure, they can produce it faster, but what’s the point in buying tech if it just breaks after a few uses?” He's rambling, but Tae Joon doesn't mind, because he's pretty sure his brain shut down five minutes ago, and he still can't form a coherent sentence in english. "My mom just… She thinks the extra money is just tips from the bar. She doesn't know about my side job." 

"Does… Does it pay well?" Tae Joon asks, and wants to shoot himself right then and there the second the words leave his mouth. Of all the things he could have asked, _that's_ what he goes for?

“What? The cam shows? Why, Wiretap? Thinking of starting up?” Elliott asks, that same teasing tone lilting the end of his question.

“Ssi-bal, no!” TJ splutters, making Elliott laugh in response. 

“Shame, I would’ve liked to have seen your face. But… It’s okay, it pays - I know how to put on a show.”

' _You're not lying._ ' Tae Joon thinks to himself, face flushing at the memory of Elliott, naked and writhing in pleasure. “Have you watched them?” Elliott asks and Tae Joon hesitates upon answering. “I won’t be mad if you say yes, you’re kind of already invading my privacy to begin with.” 

That was true, but still, this was something intimate, something completely different than arbitrary information about his occupation or his student projects. 

“Y-Yes…” He croaks out, swallowing thickly. 

“And your professional opinion?” 

“... I-I… Don’t know how to answer that…” He stutters, heart racing like he'd jumped from a cliff and lived to tell the tale. 

“Fair enough.” Elliott states. 

“You’re…” Tae Joon fumbles for whatever it was he wanted to say, half lost between his native tongue and English, unsure of what he wanted to tell the man. ' _You're incredibly hot_ ', or perhaps ' _You're the reason I have trouble sleeping at night_ ', but instead he shakes his head. "You're really not bothered? That I… Watch you, I mean…" He flinched at the phrasing. It made him sound like such a pervert, but then again, wasn't he? Invading Elliott's privacy like this? 

“Nah, I’ve already got a few thousand eyes on me, what’s one set more to the count, right? And plus, I know you’re not a creep.” Elliott sounds so casual, as if he was discussing the weather, or a particularly mediocre sports game. ‘ _You don’t know anything, and it’s going to get you hurt._ ’ 

“I’m on again tonight, if you’re interested. Starts at nine.” Elliott states, nonchalantly and Tae Joon stutters over his words for what seems like the hundredth time that night.

“O-Okay…” What did he say in this situation? Thanks? 

“No pressure, though. Man, we got side tracked, huh?" The sounds of a phone keyboard being tapped upon fills the space between them, and Elliott huffs. "Octavio keeps asking me to go to the gym with him, but I'm not feeling it today. Kinda just wanna lie in bed and watch a movie or something, any recommendations?" 

Tae Joon hums in thought, hands instinctually falling to their places on the keyboard and mouse as he pulled up his documents folder, searching his files. Eventually, he pulls up one of his many movies, broadcasting it to Elliott's screen. 

"This one is one of my favourites… We could… Watch it together?" He asks, suddenly overcome with shyness, embarrassment by his own embarrassment, if that was even possible. "If you want, that is." 

"Aw, Wiretap, you're asking me on a date?" Elliott laughs, voice teasing and soft, and it makes Tae Joon blush.

"Never mind, I've changed my mind." 

  
  


The credits rolls across the screen, and Elliott let's out a laugh that makes Tae Joon's heart flutter.

"That was… Really fucking fun, actually, Wiretap. You have good taste." 

"Gamsahabnida." 

He felt light, almost weightless at the fact that Elliott actually _enjoyed_ something that Tae Joon held in such high regard. Mila never had time to watch movies with him anymore, like how they did when they were kids, and everything was so much more simple, and try as she might, Natalie just didn't enjoy Tae Joon's brand of film. To be able to share this part of himself with someone had him almost giddy. 

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you, what is that? When you uh, speak a different language sometimes." Elliott sounds curious and the question catches Tae Joon off guard. He hadn't even noticed he was speaking in his native tongue.

"Ya, I'm Korean, it's my first language." 

"Oh, neat. My family is from somewhere or other, but uh, way back down the line you know? I don't really pay attention." Elliott laughs awkwardly, as if he was slightly embarrassed.

"Seriously?" Tae Joon can't help but chuckle, raising a brow in surprise. 

"Yeah, I don't know. Family's complicated, you know how it is." Elliott brushes off the comment, and the sound of tapping on his phone keyboard resumes, for a second. "Oh, man I gotta go. My mom needs some help down in the workshop. And then I suppose I'll drag my ass out to the gym too." The sigh is almost audible in his voice, and Tae Joon hums in sympathy.

"Alright, Elliott. Have a good day." 

"I'll try, but God knows Tavi will drive me up the wall. Come see me tonight, I might have something special for you."

  
  


The time passes in a haze of all too slow and all too fast, and Tae Joon is nervous, jumpy.

"What's gotten into you tonight? You're shaking the table." Mila complains, kicking at his leg which jittered impatiently against the plastic of the table. He swallows his forkful of food, mumbling out an apology as his hand reaches for his phone to check the clock. 8:50. He eyes the last few bits of food on his plate and sighs, standing. 

"I don't feel well, I think I'm going to go to bed, Mila." He breathes, trying his best not to hurry too noticeably to the kitchen to scrape his plate and deposit it in the sink. 

"Oh, what? But the next episode is out tonight!" 

"Sorry, go ahead and watch it without me, I'll catch it later." He calls over his shoulder, heading to his room and trying not to look suspicious.

When he closes the door behind him, he can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He leans up against the surface of the wood for a second, licking at his lips anxiously. He'd been shaky since Elliott had left earlier that day, and he wasn't quite sure why. 

_"I might have something special for you."_

Tae Joon swallows hard, sitting down at his computer desk and quickly logging on, inputting the url of a site he was all too eager to see again, but nothing was displayed.

He was early. 

The next few minutes were spent in agonising anxiety, until the all too familiar face pops up on screen. 

"Good evening, lovelies. Hope your day has been as _pleasurable_ as mine has, so let's start this off right." The purr in Elliott's voice goes straight to Tae Joon's dick, and his hands grip the arm rests of his chair nervously. "I'm doing things a little differently tonight, so listen _long_ and _hard_ . Fill this lovely little jar to the top, and I've got a surprise for you all." He motions to the virtual animation at the corner of his screen, one that reads ' **insert your tip ;)** ' and winks to the camera. Elliott's skin was already sheen with sweat, his curls tousled and damp, and Tae Joon realises he must have just gotten back from the gym. His hands find the edge of the tank top he's wearing, effortlessly lifting it over his head to reveal more of the tanned flesh, and he smooths a hand down his chest. He squeezes at his pec with a moan, deciding to stay there and roll his nipple between his fingers, tugging on it and biting his lip as his other hand slips down to cup himself through his sweatpants. Elliott seems content to rut into his own hand, until the sound of the tip jar filling drags him from his pleasure, and he removes his hands from himself. Panting, he grins to the camera. "Oh, you're so good to me, sugar. Bet you wanna see what I've got for you, huh?" His smirk is flirtatious, and Tae Joon bites his lip, already half hard in his pants from the display. He couldn't help but feel like Elliott was talking to him, the way he chuckled deeply and eagerly tugged his sweats down, kicking them off to the side and turning to balance on all fours, completely bare beneath the grey fabric. And _fuck_ , that does something to him, because he's biting back a moan at the thought of Elliott out in public, the tantalising line of his cock so clearly visable through his pants as he worked out at the gym. He wondered if others watched him on the street as much as they did online, and that sent a pang of heat to his gut that made him feel utterly debauched. 

But more importantly, Elliott was poised so perfectly, showing off the surprise he had indeed promised. And it was fucking perfect. A cute, silicone plug was nestled between his spread cheeks, showing off just how filthy he had been. It sends Tae Joon's mind reeling. Had he worn that earlier, when they watched the movie together? Or had he prepped himself, and slipped it in before heading out to the gym? "I've been so hard all day, baby, thinking of your cock." Elliott whines, grabbing the flared base of the toy and twisting it slightly; the moan that escapes his mouth is loud and needy. 

Tae Joon imagined Elliott, watching the movie, desperately trying to pay attention while feeling so stretched, so full, but unable to do anything but grind down into his chair, wanting to feel the pleasure a cock would give him. His hand reaches back, pulling the plug until it slipped from his hole, and the mess of lube that dribbled out when Elliott pushed two fingers inside made Tae Joon's throat go dry, his hands reaching down to tug at his own pair of sweatpants to relieve some of the pressure on his straining dick. He didn't want to touch himself. Yet. 

Elliott pushes the plug back inside until it's nestled firmly, whining and bucking his hips into the mattress. "I felt so good, but I didn't touch myself, so now you can make me feel good, baby." The tell tale sound of a donation rings out, and Elliott whines as the base of the plug flashes for a moment, and it takes Tae Joon second to realise the sound he hears is the plug _vibrating_ inside of Elliott. He clenches his jaw, cursing. His cock was already straining, leaking precum down the shaft and begging to be touched, but he resists. As soon as the vibrations begin, they end, and Elliott moves so he's looking into the camera. "Make me feel good!" He whines, rutting into the neatly made bed beneath him. "Please, I want to feel good. You- You can make me cum, as many times as you want, just- Ah!" Elliott moans, high pitched and breathy as another, larger donation comes through, and the intensity on the toy is increased, as well as the duration. 

If Tae Joon wasn't so horny, he'd acknowledge how smart of a system it was. If the audience wanted to get what they want, they were readily encouraged to donate larger sums of money. It was smart. But of course, he's so hard he's sure there's not a drop of blood left in his brain, and his hand squeezes at the base of his cock roughly. Watching Elliott writhe and squirm as the audience seemed to get the idea was almost like torture, and Tae Joon stared into the man's eyes which were dazed and blown with lust. The grin he shoots to the camera makes his heart pound, and his dick twitch in response. 

Noticing a hefty donation from an unnamed source, Elliott squinted through the pleasure to read the note attached. 

**Roll over onto your back for Daddy, baby boy.**

Elliott does so, spreading his shaking legs as the toy vibrated inside him, making him gasp and whine and bite those beautiful plump lips. "Mmphh, Daddy!" He cries out, and Tae Joon gasps loudly, fucking up into his fist before he can stop himself. It feels so good, and before he knows it, he's jerking his leaking cock as he watches Elliott's hips buck up into phantom friction, then back down into the vibrations before they cease once more. He whines, tears staining his cheeks. "Fu-uck, daddy, please, more! I want more, please, I want to cum!" He cries, hands balling into fists in the bed sheets. It's not long before the vibrations start up again, and Elliott is sobbing with the pleasure, babbling filthy nonsense that only aids Tae Joon's hand. "I w-want your cock in me, baby, I-I...I want you to f-fuck me and make me cu-um." 

"Fuck, Elliott, you look so good." Tae Joon grunts out between clenched teeth, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he feels his balls begin to tighten. He had never spoken before while getting off, just jerked his cock silently, but something about this felt so _different_. He's close, he can feel it coiling in his stomach, but as Elliott's pleasure stops, he forces himself to let go of his dick, fucking up into thin air with the need to release. He's panting like he's ran a marathon, sweating too, and his limbs are shaking, but he wants to feel what Elliott feels, and if that meant holding off, he would. His hands grip the arm rests of his chair so tight they creak, watching the man on the screen wrap his fingers through his curls and tug, the other hand going to play with his nipples as he whines and begs to the audience. Tae Joon, too, feels like begging. 

Then the vibrator starts up again, as Elliott receives an insane amount of cash, and if Tae Joon wasn't so horny, he'd probably be shocked. Elliott practically screams, grinding his hips down into the mattress to work the plug against his prostate, shaking and sobbing until he finally cums, painting his chest and even getting some as far as his collarbone. There's simply a moments respite where his body falls limp, heavy in his post orgasmic haze until the vibrations begin anew, and Elliott's voice breaks in a silent moan as his cock twitches, spent and an almost violet shade of red. Eagerly, Tae Joon flicks his wrist, twisting and squeezing until it becomes too much for him, and he cums, watching as Elliott shakes with pleasure and overstimulation, his cock dribbling out another few drops of cum in an almost dry orgasm. 

"Fuck! Fuck! More, please!" Elliott cries, and Tae Joon is breathless at the idea that Elliott still needed _more_.

He, however, was spent. He closes the window and wipes up his mess with a nearby tissue, chest stuttering with the rise and fall of rapid breaths. He's about to log out, when a folder he'd never previously recognised before catches his attention on Elliott's desktop. It's labelled Wiretap. 

Tae Joon bites his lip, curious, but oh so fucking tired. He copies the contents in case Elliott decided to change his mind, and turns off the computer.

That could wait until tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to like and comment if you enjoyed, it let's me know I'm doing good!


	7. Chapter 7

Tae Joon woke up early, rolling out of bed and moving straight to his computer. He was tired still, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, but curiosity overwhelmed his other feelings by a landslide. He inputs the password, once, and then again when the screen tells him it was wrong. He blames his shaking hands. Once he's greeted with his desktop, a picture of him and Mila grinning into the camera, he checks to see if he had simply made it up - but it was still there.

 **Wiretap**.

For him; whatever it was. It could be a virus, something that could endanger his hard drive. He opens his program and runs a scan, just in case. When it returns nothing abnormal, Tae Joon hums, deciding to take his chances. He clicks on the file, and stiffens at the contents, mouth opening in a small gasp as his cheeks heat up.

It was pictures and videos of Elliott, from yesterday, judging by the clothing. And then… Lack of. He plugs in his headset, slipping it over his ears as he clicks on the first video. 

Elliott grins, making sure it's recording, and then, he waves. 

"Hey, Wiretap, figured since you were such a big fan that I'd give you something special. Y'know, since you've been keeping me company recently." He stretches, humming. "I'm going to the gym soon, but first, I wanted to have a little fun - just you and me." His hands reach for the bottom of his shirt, rubbing the material between his fingers. "You should feel pretty special, sugar. I don't do this for just anyone." 

And then he's pulling it off, revealing that toned abdomen until he throws it off to the side. "I'd prefer it if you were here, so I could ask you what you wanna see, and give it to you just how you want, but I think you'd just about combust, huh?" He grins flirtatiously, trailing his fingertips down his chest, slow and deliberate. "You're cute when you get flustered. But I figured this would be better." He tugs at one of his nipples, humming. "Really rile you up, you know? I'd love to see it, or hear it I suppose." The man strokes at the trail of hair below his navel, grinning. "You have that fuckin' deep voice that just… Fuuuck, it drives me crazy." His hand grips his dick through his sweatpants, moaning as he bites his lip. 

Tae Joon swallows hard, wetting his lips at the sight. Seeing Elliott do this normally was hot enough, but this was _for him_. And Elliott, the guy who was constantly looking this good, the guy who could have anyone he wanted… He liked his voice? His face was flushed, and not only from arousal. 

Elliott's hands tug at his pants, pulling the fabric down to his ankles and kicking them off. He was bare underneath, cock half hard and leaking against his thigh. "I wish you were here, so you could tell me what you want. So I could hear you-" He moans as he tightens a fist around his dick, letting his head fall back. "So I could hear you stroke your cock, oh fuck!" He whines, pulling his hand away for just a moment to spit into his palm, thumbing at the head and collecting the precum that beaded there. "I bet you sound good moaning my name, mmmph." He gasps, clumsily leaning over to his bedside table to pull open the drawer, grabbing at a bottle of lube and clicking it open. "You get to watch me, before everyone else." He laughs breathily, drizzling the liquid over his fingers before moving them down to tease his hole. "Consider this the VIP treatment." He winks, pushing in a finger to the knuckle and grinding down to meet it, hissing between his teeth. "Shit, sugar, I'd love to take your cock." Elliott moans, barely waiting before adding another finger, scissoring them and leaning into the touches. "W-Want to feel your hands on me. It's not as fu-un a-alone." His eyelids flutter as he fucks down against his hand, using the other to smooth across his thigh teasingly. 

Tae Joon is a mess, breathing as if there was no more oxygen left in the room as he grips his own straining dick in a firm grip, just letting his hips buck up into the friction as they pleased, forgoing any rhythm for now. His eyes are fixated on the screen where Elliott looked so damn good, jaw clenched almost painfully. "You know what I would do, if you were here?" 

"W-What?" He finds himself replying, even though it made no difference. He felt compelled.

"I'd undress you, nice and slow. Maybe let you touch me a little, if you're good, but I'd stand just out of your reach, and let you watch me touch myself."

"Fuck…"

"I bet you'd like that, hmm? When I'm so close you could just grab me and do whatever you want, but you want to be good for me? Yeah? I'd touch myself, just like this." He gasps, fucking his fingers up into himself harder to further prove his point. "Beg for your cock. Because I want to feel it, I want to taste it and have it mmmghhh, stretch me open!" Elliott groans deep in his throat, adding another finger with a bite to those unfairly plush lips. "And I'd make you beg to touch me. Because I know you want me too." 

"Yes, please!"

And then Elliott is reaching over again, bringing out a dildo from his side table, notably different from the one the other night - this one was thicker. He grins, and it feels like he's locking eyes with Tae Joon, like he just knows he's touching himself while watching. "I'd let you feel me up." He continues, discarding the toy to the side for a moment and wiping his hand on the bed sheets before letting them roam, squeezing at his pecs and thighs with a slow and deliberate lick of his lips, and then he grabs the toy again, bringing it to his mouth and just letting it sit in front of his face. "And then I'd get on my knees, and choke on your cock." His tongue darts out, licking along the plastic head with a grin. "I'd let you wrap your hands in my hair and just fuckin' let you use me." Elliott moans, opening his mouth for the fake cock and letting it slip in between his lips. He sucks obscenely on the head, moaning and jerking the base. "I don't just let anyone touch my hair, either, Wiretap. But you…" the man is panting now, pressing kisses up the shaft between his words until he reaches the tip, placing an open mouthed kiss there before kitten licking the synthetic material. "I might just make an exception for. After all, you're being so kind to me, letting me gag on your cock." And then Elliott is leaning forward from his position on his knees, shooting the camera a wink as he leans his weight on his forearms and arching his back so his ass was raised and on display, and fuck did it look _good_ . He presses the base of the dildo firmly against the mattress and begins to take it into his mouth with a moan. Sucking on the head, Elliott hums around it for a second before letting go, a loud _pop_ heard from the suction. And then he's sloppily jerking the head, licking and drooling his way up the underside, and Tae Joon's whole body goes warm at the thought of how that would feel, with Elliott's mouth around him, teasing him like that. He raises a finger to his mouth, biting on the knuckle to stifle the sounds as Elliott begins bobbing his head on the plastic cock again, taking more and more until he reaches the base, and still, he doesn't budge. The man gags around the girth for a moment or two before pulling off, and just the sight of the length appearing from Elliott's tight throat, sliding between those lips has Tae Joon crying out as quietly as he can muster. 

"Elliott, please." He moans, squeezing the base of his dick to slow down his oncoming orgasm, and then Elliott is taking it again, bobbing and slurping down the cock until Tae Joon's face is as red as his rucksack at the noises alone.

"You make some cute noises, baby, but let's keep moving, shall we?" Elliott smirks, licking at his bottom lip and sucking it into his mouth, capturing it between his teeth. "I want more of your cock. Fuck, I wanna ride you, feel you inside me and just let you grab my hips." 

The bottle of lube is already in and out of Elliott's hand by the time Tae Joon comes to enough to focus, willing away that tantalising fantasy, his dexterous hand is sliding up and down the dildo, coating it before nestling it between his spread thighs, and he's back on his haunches. "God, sugar, just thinking of you-" Elliott moans, sinking down onto the toy, "pulling me down on your cock-" his hand reaches up and grabs a handful of his hair, tugging it back from his face and he whines. "Am I tight? Do I feel good?" Elliott asks Tae Joon.

"Y-Yes, Elliott fuck- Please!" He begs, gasping and whining as he begins to speed up his hand.

"And then, maybe I'd just… Start to grind my hips a little." The man chuckles, a deep moan escaping his lips. "Does that feel good?" 

"Yes, yes!" 

"I feel good, you make me feel so fuckin'- Oh! So fuckin' full, sugar." He barely pauses for breath, rocking his hips down expertly into the dildo with a grunt. "F-Fuck me back, let me hear you." Elliott begs, voice cracking as it pitches higher, more breathy. Tae Joon obeys, rocking his hips up into his fist with a choked cry. "Fill me up, stuff me full of your cum, baby, please!" 

He's close, he can feel it coiling in his gut and in the way his balls clench when Elliott's voice goes just that little bit higher, the sound of skin against skin as he bounces down against the dildo, stretching himself so perfectly. "Cum in me, please! Let me- Oh! Let me feel you baby, please, let me feel you spill!" 

And just like that, Tae Joon cums. The white hot band of pleasure snaps, causing him to cry out the man's name in a way that- if he wasn't so worked up- he might have been embarrassed about. "Oh fuck! Fuck, don't waste a fucking drop!" 

When he comes to, he's covered in his own mess, gasping and moaning weakly, eyes just barely open enough to keep watching Elliott shake in the aftershocks. He recovers quicker, though, and reaches for the all too familiar toy from last night, presenting it to the camera for Tae Joon to inspect. "See this? If you were here, I'd get you to fill me, and then I'd wear this. Walking around all day with your cum deep inside me." Elliott moans, presenting his pliant, wet hole to the camera before slipping the plug in snugly. "Fuck, that feels so good. Just our little secret, right, Wiretap?” Elliott laughs, clearly spent from the intensity of his orgasm. He wipes himself down quickly, reaching over to pull the sweatpants back to him and tugs them back up his legs, bending over a little more than what was probably necessary with a moan when the plug rubs inside of him. He winks at the camera, grinning as he searches for his shirt. “No one else needs to know, sugar. But I’ll certainly be thinking of you. Catch you later, hope you enjoyed the show.” Elliott gives one final little wave to the camera, and then the footage ends. 

Tae Joon can’t help but whine pitifully. He hadn’t even been fully awake, and the strength of his orgasm was threatening to put him back to sleep. But he was covered in his own… Mess… And desperately needed a shower. Lethargically, he stretches, unwilling to get up from his spot in the chair, where his sweaty skin was beginning to stick to the leather, and instead, he closes his eyes and lets his mind wander.

Was he ever going to get his work done with Elliott lodged in the forefront of his mind like this? He was becoming borderline obsessive. And not to mention the shaky feeling that overwhelmed him the last few days too - he needed to eat more, he supposed. And perhaps drink less coffee. But he figured that wasn’t about to happen, what with his job and college deadlines drawing so close together. ‘ _Okay, that’s enough thinking._ ’ He decides, standing on shaking legs and staring down at the dried cum on his stomach and thighs, wrinkling his nose. ‘ _Gross._ ’ Tae Joon opts to simply tie his robe over himself, picking up a clean pair of underwear from the drawer next to him before he makes for the bathroom. Mila is nowhere to be seen - which in itself isn’t unusual, she tended to sleep in late. He makes sure to lock the door behind him, pulling off the robe and setting it aside along with his clean boxer shorts. Turning on the faucet, he holds his hand under the spray until it’s warm and nods, stripping himself of his underwear. When he steps under the flow, his muscles instinctually relax and his first move is to wash off the cum staining his skin. Grabbing at a washcloth and a bar of soap, he begins the process of cleaning himself, humming some tune he has stuck in his head, and his brows furrow as he processes it. He didn’t know where it was from, and it was bothering him. A TV show? A movie? No, they both didn’t sound right. So where on- The all too familiar flutter in his stomach hits him again as he realises that Elliott had been humming it last night, during one of their lulls in conversation, and Tae Joon feels his face darkening. Could he _ever_ get Elliott out of his mind lately? It was starting to get annoying just how often he occupied his thoughts. More often than not these days, he felt guilty, and it was starting to frustrate him.

Tae Joon lets the washcloth fall from his hand, jaw clenched as he reaches for his towel, quickly drying off before slipping into his underwear. He pads into the living room, eyes falling to his sister curled up comfortably on the couch.

“Mila, can we talk?” He asks, before he can really stop himself and consider the consequences of his actions. The woman in question looks up, brows furrowed in concern as she quickly sets her phone to the side.

“What’s wrong?”

“I… I don’t know?”

“What?” She asks, clearly confused, and Tae Joon sighs angrily, bringing his hands up to cup at his face to obscure it from view.

“I don’t know!” He yells into his palms, causing her to shuffle in closer and set a hand on his shoulder in support. “It’s my… Job. T-The target, he-” Tae Joon stumbles for words, running a hand through his soaking hair that sent droplets of water flying off everywhere. “I messed up, Mila. I accidentally initiated contact, and we started talking… He- I… I feel guilty every time I speak to him, because I know he doesn’t deserve what I’m doing to him, and when I stop talking to him, I can’t stop thinking about him! He’s driving me insane and I don’t know what’s happening to me-”

“Holy shit, TJ! You have a crush on your contract?”

“W-What?!” He chokes out, as if all the air in his lungs has evaporated. His face heats, and his stomach churns and- no that couldn’t be possible “No, I just started pretending to be his friend to gather information- but I don’t think I’m pretending anymore, Mila. He’s kind to me, and funny even though his jokes are bad and-”

“Oh, baby bro you’ve got it bad.” She smirks, making his shoulders hunch. A _crush_. On _Elliott Witt_? Not possible. No way; he wouldn’t allow it.

“N-No! I don’t-”

“You loooove him!” Mila laughs, nudging into him, and he simply glares back at her in return.

“I can’t Mila! You don’t understand!”

“What could possibly be so bad that you-”

“He’s my classmate!” He blurts out, freezing up for a moment before burying his face in his hands.

“So that’s why you were so reluctant to take the job!”

“I don’t know what to do!” Tae Joon sobs, “He’s pissed off some very dangerous people and I want to protect him, Mila! He doesn’t deserve this!” The absurdity of the situation hits him all at once, he’s sitting in his living room with nothing but his boxers on, crying over a boy while his sister rubs his back. If he could go back to the start of the week and tell his past self that, he would never believe it to be true. “I just… Want to talk to him! Properly! I want to see him smile and know he’s okay… I want to know if he thinks I’m as interesting as I think he’s handsome.” He sniffs, wiping at his nose with a grimace. 

“Oh, TJ.” Mila sighs, wrapping her arms around her brother’s shoulders and pulling him in for a hug. She rocks him slightly, and his breathing begins to level out.

“What do I do, Mila?” He asks, voice wavering with emotion. She hums.

“Did you get that money in?”

“Yes, but what-”

“We’re going to make you feel better. Retail therapy.” He pulls away, looking at her wearily.

“We can’t afford that.”

“You paid the rent didn’t you? We can afford to splash out this once. And besides, you seriously need a haircut; I’m surprised you can see at all with that mop on your head.” She teases, nudging him lightly to make him smile. 

“Ya. Okay, Mila. Thank you.” He sniffs, and she ruffles his hair.

“Of course, now hurry and get dressed you dork.”

He heads back to his room, feeling embarrassed at his emotions as he catches a glimpse of his red rimmed eyes in the mirror next to him. He liked Elliott. He… Liked him a lot. Tae Joon couldn’t quite believe himself, falling for his target like this, but that thought could wait. Today it was him and his sister, hanging out like old times. 

"Absolutely not." Tae Joon groans, rolling his eyes as his sister tuts.

"Come on, live a little! You wanna impress him don't you?" He feels his muscles stiffening at that, cursing under his breath.

"That's blackmail." 

"You would know. But seriously, Tae, just do something different for once!" Mila begs him, and he sighs, taking another look at the photograph on her phone. 

"It's not even symmetrical!"

"It's supposed to look like that, dummy. Pleeaaase?" Her blue eyes are wide, pleading and he sighs. It's not that he didn't _like_ the haircut, he just didn't think he could pull it off. He didn't look nearly as attractive as the model, and what if he looked dumb? The shaved underside would take him forever to grow out if it looked bad. But, what if Mila was right? What if Elliott liked it? What if he noticed him? His face feels uncomfortably hot as he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose under his glasses. 

"Fine." He mumbles, making Mila cheer. "But if I look stupid I'm blaming you." 

"You're gonna look so badass, TJ!" She grins, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside the barber store, enthusiastically explaining the details to the hairdresser while he stood there anxiously. He'd pretty much always had the same hair style, he'd just cut it when it got too long - so to say he was nervous was a massive understatement.

"Oh my god!" Mila gasped, making him look to her sceptically. 

"Don't just say ' _oh my god_ ' and then nothing else! Jegil, Mila, I don't have my glasses on yet, just-" He fumbles with the legs of the eyewear and eventually slips them onto his face. Tae Joon pauses, taking in the sight in shock. _Oh_. He looked good. The style highlighted his cheekbones, making his jaw look stronger and bringing attention to his eyes and he actually felt pretty attractive. "Wow…" He gasps, bringing up a hand to touch at the strands. 

"I told you so."

"Shut up." He groans, snapping out of his haze to hand over the money for the haircut to the barber, who thanked them both and bid them a good day as they left. 

"What now?" Mila asks, looking about as Tae Joon messes with his hair, and her hand comes up to stop him. "Leave it, it looks good." 

"Feels weird." He mumbles, humming in thought. "Ya, I want to stop in there." He begins walking, and Mila scrambles to catch up, confused.

"The opticians? Why?"

"I want to buy some contact lenses." He states casually, and Mila looks surprised.

"Woah, getting adventurous today, TJ!" She laughs, linking arms with him. "I was thinking we could go buy some clothes after this, really spruce you up to get your boyfriends attention!"

"Mila, shush!" Tae Joon splutters in response, face going redder than her hair as he tries to maintain his angry pout. "He is not my boyfriend! I don't even think he knows my name." 

"Well, he will after this. Because I'm going to make you look amazing." Mila sounds confident, but Tae Joon isn't convinced. Maybe it would just be better if Elliott never noticed him? If he just cut contact and pretended they had never met. It would hurt, but Tae Joon was ruining his life by sending all of Elliott's information to the Syndicate. But just what did Elliott _do_ to deserve that? Who could he have possibly pissed off? 

He's broken from his thoughts by the store clerk smiling, handing him a box which he takes eagerly. 

"Everything is good, sir. You're lucky we had your prescription stocked in such short notice, enjoy your day!" 

"Thank you." He nods, slipping the box of contact lenses into his bag as he handed over the money. He had worn them a few years ago, but eventually he had gotten tired of the process of taking them out repeatedly and never refilled his prescription. 

"You ready, TJ? I wanna get some food after we buy some clothes too."

"You want a lot for someone who isn't paying." He jabs playfully, knocking into Mila and pushing her to the side. She pushes him back, laughing.

"Who said I wasn't paying? C'mon, hurry up!"

The store she drags him to isn't too busy, but the lighting is bright and there's loud music playing over the loudspeaker, making him huff in frustration. This is why he preferred to shop online. "So, I was thinking."

"Oh no." He smiles, making her pout with faux anger.

"Hey, I'm amazing. Anyways, so you seriously need to update your style. You dress like a nerd."

"Who'd have thought the computer engineer who likes video games would be a nerd?" He jokes, eyeing up some of the clothes Mila was sorting through on the rack. They looked flashy, and not at all his style. "I don't know…" He hesitates as she holds up a pair of black skinny jeans, "They look pretty tight." 

"They'll make you look taller." She points out, and he can't help but wince.

"Ouch, brutal." He laughs. "Always bringing that up, hm? It's just an inch."

"And here I thought an inch meant a lot to you guys." She smirks, dropping the jeans into the basket. "You're trying them on, at least."

"You're insufferable."

"You love it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to like and leave a comment if you enjoyed, it let's me know I'm doing good!


	8. Chapter 8

“Tae Joon!”

He’s torn from sleep, remnants of a dream fading from his memory as he blinks, confused. Something about a warm body - and then it’s gone. He rolls to his front, leaning on his arms to check the time on the alarm clock to his right, and then he falls back into the sheets with a groan. The start of a new week, 7AM. 

“Ya!” He yells back, rubbing at his eyes with a yawn. Mila didn’t usually wake him up, he thinks sleepily to himself, not unless it was an emergency-

He rolls out of bed, stumbling to his bedroom door and throwing it open. Tae Joon surveys the living room, and finds no trace of his sister. He chews at his lip and heads to the kitchen, steps quiet and precise as he listens out for any signs of danger. He turns the corner, shoulders falling from their place around his ears, sighing. “Mila, you worried me.” He groans, watching as she cracks an egg into the frying pan. She turns to him with a smile, ruffling his hair.

“Sorry, sorry! I just thought you’d like me to make you some breakfast before your classes today.” She sings, making Tae Joon squint in suspicion. 

“What’s the occasion?” He asks, pouring some coffee into his mug from the freshly brewed pot on the side. He takes a sip and sighs contently. Mila shoots him a sheepish smile in response, making him flinch. “Mila, no!”

“You should just talk to him!” She whines, making Tae Joon’s face flush.

“N-No… I should just leave him alone, Mila. I’m... dangerous.” He clenches his jaw, looking off to the side out of embarrassment - that is, until Mila laughs. 

“TJ, you’re about as dangerous as a puppy with roller skates on.” She sets the cooked egg down onto the plate, which already housed some bacon and toast, pushing it towards him with a sympathetic smile. “Just talk to him.” She says softly, and he sighs.

“Alright.”

He wasn’t going to talk to him. He shoves the last of the food into his mouth, washing it down with some coffee. He was just going to go about his day, and act as if nothing had changed. Easy. Simple. He grabs his dishes and sets them in the sink along with Mila’s and sighs, turning to head back to his room. Once the door is shut, he looks to the new clothes he’d bought yesterday anxiously, hand coming up to scratch at the back of his head out of habit; but the hair there was shaved now. Trimmed and cropped neat, he runs his fingers across the stubble, chewing at his lip. Tae Joon wasn’t sure he liked this new person he was trying to become, as if it would magically erase all of his anxieties and self doubt just because he put on a new pair of pants. The thought in itself though was mildly entertaining. But he felt he had to at least try - for Mila. Or something.

He grabs at said pair of pants, eyeing them suspiciously before giving in and beginning to tug them onto his legs. They were tight, but not uncomfortably so, and the sensation wasn’t disliked; in a way it was almost… Grounding. He fastens the button and reaches for his belt, threading it through the loops and tightening it around his waist. Next, he pulls the fitted black t shirt over his head, humming a familiar tune as he reaches for his new boots. He was a bit reluctant to buy white shoes, it seemed counter intuitive, but Mila had been begging him, and so he eventually gave in. They were comfortable, and gave him a little bit of a height boost so that he was actually the same height as his sister for the first time in over a decade and a half. Lastly, he shrugs the coat over his shoulders, nodding to himself as he grabs his backpack. The coat was comfortable, not too warm, and it was weighted, which both he and Mila agreed might help his anxiety. 

“You want to walk to the cafe with me? I’ll buy you a drink.” Mila asks, peeking her head around his door and stopping for a moment. “Woah, look at you!” She coos, grinning widely. Tae Joon simply huffs, rolling his eyes in embarrassment. 

“Ya, just a second.” He mumbles, slipping his glasses case into his pocket before leaning over his desk to put in his contacts. The movement is practiced, easy, and he blinks a few times, screwing up his face to get used to the feeling again. “Ready.”

They walk, talking about small things such as Mila’s work schedule and Tae Joon’s classes, but avoid the big subject - Elliott. Pretty soon, they reach the shop, and Mila pulls him inside to begin making his green tea to go. He stands there awkwardly, checking the time on his phone until she nudges him, smiling, and hands him two cups. He opens his mouth to speak, but she cuts him off before he can.

“Uh, it’s for Nat. Can you…”

“I’ll tell her you said hi.” Tae Joon smiles, “You should talk to her, you know. She likes you.”

The thought makes him feel hollow - liking someone who likes you back, and he bites back his frown, nodding. “Bye, Mila.”

Tae Joon pulls out his headphones as he enters the classroom, smiling at Natalie who was engrossed in a book at her desk. He walks over and sets the cup in front of her, drawing her from her focus. “Didn’t mean to distract you. Mila wanted you to have this.” He murmurs and the smile that graces her lips is sweet, but it just makes him feel bitter. He’s about to turn and sit down before he’s interrupted.

“Woah, we got a new kid?” It was Elliott. Tae Joon instinctively turns, looking about for whatever it was Witt could be talking about, but Elliott is looking at _him_ . “Oh, no. My bad dude. Lookin’ good though!” The man shoots him a wink, finger gun pointed at him and he feels his face flushing. Mila was _right_?! He didn’t think Elliott would actually notice him. Tae Joon is quick to turn, sitting down in his seat and taking a large gulp of the still boiling tea to distract himself from the almost violent dance his heart was doing. As if by some divine miracle, the professor comes in, shushing the class as Elliott moves to say something else, and Tae Joon had never been so grateful. 

With the class dismissed, Tae Joon sighs, bored. The lectures were always the worst part about the course, he much preferred the hands on workshop sessions but those were few and far between now that exams were coming up. He turns to Natalie, who seems nervous, and cocks a brow. 

“I’ve got to get going, Tae. Can we… Talk later?” She asks, and he feels the familiar drop in his stomach. He nods, instinctively sucking his bottom lip into his mouth to bite, and he watches as she stands and leaves the classroom. He goes to retrieve his bag, when he freezes. Elliott was watching him, and they were the only two in the room. He hesitates, unsure whether to acknowledge that the man was looking at him or pretend he hadn’t noticed, when he begins walking towards him. Tae Joon practically scrambles out of his seat, willing himself to calm down and stop breathing so heavily. 

“Ah, hey.” Elliott greets, sounding a little apprehensive. “Uh, I-I don’t… Know your name, sorry.” There’s an awkward sort of silence between them as Tae Joon stares at him, until Elliott winces out a smile. ‘ _Real smooth, asshole. He probably thinks you’re weird now._ ’ He thinks harshly. “A-Anyways, uh. I just wanted to say, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable back there. I get trying a new style out can already be pretty… Pretty intimidating, so uh, yeah. I just wanted to say you uh… Look good…” Elliott looks away and- is he blushing?! Tae Joon is frozen in place, caught between his anxiety of the situation and the warmness Elliott makes him feel, and so he stutters out the first thing his brain thinks of.

“Gamsahabnida.”

Elliott’s face darkens.

“You.” He snarls, and before Tae Joon can process what's happening, the collar of his coat is being grabbed, and he’s being pushed, slammed back into the wall in a way that makes his head throb. “You son of a bitch!” Elliott yells, right in his face. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t fuckin’ kill you right now!”

“W-Wha-”

“I trusted you!” His eyes are ablaze with fury, and Tae Joon fully believes he’s going to die right there, in the fucking engineering classroom. “You used me, you fucking-” He brings his fist up, and Tae Joon flinches, whimpering when the sound of the collision hits the wall next to him, inches away from his head. “So, tell me, Wiretap.” Elliott begins, and Tae Joon didn’t ever imagine the man would say his nickname with _malice_. It makes his stomach churn violently. “Where do you get off ruining my life like this, huh?” As if noting the confusion in his eyes, Elliott snarls. “Because I received an _anonymous_ letter this morning. You know what it said? Hmm?” He pushes Tae Joon in closer to the wall, pinning him against the surface with his body. ‘ _This isn’t how I imagined this would happen._ ’ He thinks, then scolds himself to pick a more opportune time to be an idiot. “It said that _somebody_ out there knows about my side job, and that if I didn’t comply, they’d make sure my reputation was ruined for good. The entire Witt name fucking tarnished. Do you have _any idea_ just how much that could ruin us?!” Elliott screams, flecks of spit flying off his lips. “It could put us on the fucking streets!” He brings Tae Joon closer, then throws him back, sending him stumbling to the side where he collided with some shelves in the corner of the room. Tae Joon lets out a pained moan as the wind is knocked out of him, and Elliott’s eyes are scared, just for a moment. He lifts a shaking hand, pointing at Tae Joon and his voice wavers when he speaks. “Stay the fuck away from me. I swear, if I ever hear your voice again I’ll… I’ll fucking make you regret the day you decided to mess with me.” 

And then he turns and leaves. 

Tae Joon struggles for breath, tears streaming down his face as he wheezes between the pain and the constantly strengthening panic attack gripping his throat. Shakily, he tries to stand, but only manages to get to his knees before falling flat again, mind clouded with racing thoughts and the overwhelming _pain_. He struggles again, letting out a hoarse grunt as he lifts himself, leaning heavily against the wall with a spluttering cough. He takes a step, searing pain rippling through his entire left side as he does, and he stumbles to the side, clinging to a desk for balance before pushing off again, slowly making his way through the room before collapsing in the hallway where luckily, nobody was there. Black spots dance in and out of his vision as he fumbles for his phone, shaking fingers missing the call button a few times until the familiar dialling tone reaches his ears and he’s croaking out.

“N-Natalie… Please… Classroom- I…” 

  
  


He wakes up later, feeling like death warmed up as a hand strokes his hair back from his forehead. The groan that leaves his throat was ragged and he can’t help but cough.

“Tae Joon, what happened?” Natalie asks, and when he finally opens his eyes, he’s at home. Something warm and wet hits his skin, and he realises two things simultaneously. He’s shirtless, and Natalie is crying. He closes his eyes again, moaning with the headache that pounds at his skull as well as the ache in his ribs.

“Fell down the stairs… Don’ call Mila.” He slurs, feeling the uncomfortable sensation of his contact lenses sticking to the backs of his eyelids. His arms are heavy, and he can’t bring himself to move them. “My bag-” He starts, moving to sit up until Natalie’s hand on his chest stops him, and he sobs in pain.

“It’s here, Tae.” She soothes, sniffling softly. “But… I don’t believe you.” He opens his eyes again, only because the pain was marginally better when he did so, and looks at Natalie, weeping next to him. “What happened to you? Are you in trouble?” She cries, moving to lace her fingers with his. “Who did this to you?”

“No one. I jus’ fell…” He groans, “You… Helped me?”

“I carried you home, Tae Joon. You really… R-really scared me.” Natalie stutters, and then begins crying anew. “Y-You kept blacking out, and…” He moves, despite the pain, and wraps an arm around her shaking shoulders, hugging her into his chest with a sigh. 

“I’m sorry, Natalie. But I can’t tell you what’s happening.” He mumbles into her hair, feeling his own eyes well up and embracing the feeling of moisture against his irritated eyes. “Maybe one day but… Not now…” 

He reaches up, and she seems to get the hint and leans back, letting him remove his contacts and taking them from him to dispose of in the trash can at the corner of the room. When she comes back, he runs a hand through his hair again, sighing. 

“Oui. Get some rest, Tae Joon.”

“Wait- you said you needed to talk, earlier-” He begins, but she shakes her head, lips pursed. 

“It can wait. Sleep.”

He’s quick to obey, eyes falling closed easily now they were freed from his lenses, and soon his breathing evens out into a steady sleep.

  
  


The sound of someone nearby rouses him, and he holds his breath, opening his eyes discreetly as he could muster to peak at the intruder. His room was mostly dark except for the lamp on his bedside table, which illuminated Mila. She looked tired, setting a bowl down on the surface before lifting her head to face him, and he quickly shut his eyes, mimicking sleep. He feels her hand smooth over his forehead, and he tries to will back the sting of tears that threatened to blow his cover. Once the sound of his bedroom door closes fills the space, he lets out a shuddering breath, opening his eyes. There, on the nightstand was a bowl of janchi guksu, his favourite meal when he was sick. He reaches for his phone and finds a text from Natalie.

**I told Mila you weren’t feeling very well and didn’t want to be disturbed. I hope you’re safe, TJ. Whatever is going on, I’m here for you.**

He wipes at his eyes, lip trembling as the tears escape from the corners of his eyes and collect on his cheeks, letting the day’s emotions finally catch up with him. How could he be so _fucking stupid_?! He’d let himself get complacent again, and now he’d fucked up any chance he could have possibly had with Elliott. But he didn’t deserve him.

The conversation springs back to mind, and he’s forced to relieve it without much choice.

I received an _anonymous_ letter this morning. 

If I didn’t comply, they’d make sure my reputation was ruined for good. 

Do you have _any idea_ just how much that could ruin us?! 

It could put us on the fucking streets! 

If I ever hear your voice again I’ll… I’ll fucking make you regret the day you decided to mess with me.

Tae Joon chokes back a sob, scared that Mila would realise he wasn’t asleep and would check on him. Mila…

He didn’t deserve Mila, or Natalie. And especially not Elliott. _He was dangerous_. He pulls back the covers on his sweating body, stumbling out of bed on unsteady legs. The sight that greets him in the mirror is strange, the skin around his ribs is blackened and blotched with large bruises and he feels sickened looking at it. He prods at the discolouration, wincing but continuing to poke until a thought reaches his head. ‘ _How the fuck did they find out?_ ’

He never submitted the report on Elliott’s activity, only the project file.

Tae Joon turns so fast he feels nauseous, but pushes forward, falling into his computer chair with a grunt. He needed answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter, remember to leave a like and comment so I know I'm doing good!


	9. Chapter 9

His eyes burned. He had been searching for hours, and the sky outside was beginning to lighten, but it still wasn’t making sense. He had double- no, triple checked the log of files he’d sent, traced it back several times but it just _wasn’t making sense_. Yes, he had sent Elliott’s project schematic over to the syndicate, the logs showed that, but his database file on Elliott wasn’t yet complete- so what reason would he have to send that? He’d long since put his glasses on, and they brushed against his hand when he pinched the bridge of his nose. He had to understand; _he had to_. 

Tae Joon was taking every precaution he could, acting as if everything on his hard drive was suspicious - prepared, not paranoid. Even his own algorithm was a subject of suspicion, and so Tae Joon opened his coding window and began a new protocol, programming in a system search for rogue software. He hadn’t used his computer yesterday, so any files that had been opened were automatically set to raise a red flag. Tae Joon begins the search, and leans back in his chair, running his fingers through his sweaty hair. He was in a lot of pain, his ribs ached in a way that made him wheeze for breath, but he figured if he wasn’t dead yet that had to be a good sign. He could sneak into the kitchen and get some pain relief, but if Mila caught him and asked what was wrong, he knew he wouldn’t be able to lie. He doesn’t even notice the tears streaming down his cheeks until his vision begins to blur. He felt utterly hopeless, sat alone in his room in the early hours of the morning - a thing that had never bothered him before, he’d been doing this job for months now, and he’d been isolating himself for even longer. He wanted to talk to Elliott, but Elliott was gone. Elliott had left him because of his own fuck ups, and for once, Tae Joon was right; he should never have been so careless in the first place, and he should have cut contact the second he had fucked up the first time. His lungs burn with the all too familiar sensation of a panic attack, but he does nothing to quell it except shove a fist into his mouth, biting down against the flesh as the sobs wrack his frame. He felt so helpless, sat in the dark with the blue light reflecting off his skin. Other than Natalie, nobody had shown him such kindness - and every other friendship he’d tried to maintain over the years was mostly one sided until he’d given up hope all together. His heart hurt in a way he couldn’t explain. The sound of his computer beeping quietly makes him jump, and he tries his best to calm his racing heart and rushed breathing. Every sharp intake of breath hurt his ribs, but eventually he began to calm down enough to wipe away his tears. His nose felt stuffy. When he works up the courage to check the screen, Tae Joon bites his lip, brows furrowing. His database entry had been compromised. The time read 04:15, but he hadn’t touched his computer the entirety of yesterday, and he knew Mila didn’t have access, so that only left one option.

He had been hacked.

The irony doesn’t escape him, but he’s quick to begin panicking again when a second file name had been brought up under the list of disturbed content. **Wiretap** . ‘ _Fuck!_ ’ He thinks to himself, and the teeth digging into his bottom lip clench down harder. Someone was after Elliott, and possibly him too. 

But who? Possibly one of his previous targets? Another rogue hacker? His mind reels with the possibilities, until he swears under his breath, and begins typing away at his keyboard to track the trace. He wasn’t going to sleep any time soon, and with the way his thoughts were racing, he knew there was no way he could manage going to class. He couldn’t face Elliott until he found answers. The search was coming up blank, as if he’d looked at the folders himself, but that was impossible. He swears, eyes narrowing in frustration as he begins the program again, desperate to find even the slightest trace of abnormal behaviour, something, _anything_ to give him a lead. 89 percent… 95… And then, nothing. Blank again.

Tae Joon curses, closing the window and instead bringing up his code program, scanning over every line to look for ways he could improve it, to find even the smallest anomaly. A sound outside his door makes him flinch, and he turns hastily, fingers finding the monitor power button and pressing it down until the screen goes black. He pulls himself from the chair, rolling into his bed with a wheeze as the air is knocked from his lungs with the pain, and he feels like he’s reliving a distant memory - hiding the fact that he’d stayed up late and pretending to be asleep. He makes sure the blankets cover his side, and just as he does so, his door opens. He wants to look, the wait is making him paranoid, because Mila just stands there, unmoving. Or at least he hopes it’s Mila. 

And then footsteps enter his room, the familiar creak in his floorboards signifying movement. A weight settles beside him, on his bad side, and he has to restrain himself from flinching. A hand smooths over his hair, and Mila sighs, feeling at his forehead. He cracks open an eye, hoping he didn’t look suspicious.

“Didn’t mean to wake you.” Mila frowns, voice so quiet he almost can’t hear her. “You feel warm. Nat told me you weren’t well, I’m worried about you, TJ.” Her brows are pinched and she looks like she’s been crying. “All this stress… It’s making you sick.” 

“I’m okay.” He croaks, and her face further creases. 

“You don’t sound okay, TJ. Let me get you some water, okay?” She stands before he can answer, and leaves the room. When she returns, she’s holding a glass. “Here, sit up.” She coos, and he freezes with panic.

“N-No, Mila I-... I feel dizzy, could you maybe… Leave it on the side?” He asks, trying to come across as someone who was actually sick and not just losing his mind, which was surprisingly easy due to how sore his throat was from crying. She nods, setting the glass down on his bedside cabinet, and looking shocked at the bowl he had forgotten was there.

“You haven’t ate…” She murmurs, and he can tell she’s beginning to get really worried. “It’s your favourite too, when you’re sick, I- Tae Joon are you sure you’re okay? Do you want me to call a doctor?”

“I’m sorry…” He begins, and the tears threaten to fall again, so he hurries on. “I must have slept through… I’ll reheat it.” He says, and Mila looks angry for a moment.

“I don’t care about the soup, I care about you, Tae Joon!” She grips his hand, squeezing it tight. “Promise me you’ll eat today.”

“Ya, I promise.” He nods, and she smiles sadly.

“Good. Stay home today, get your strength back. If you need me to stay off work-”

“No! N-No, Mila, go, I’ll be alright.” She presses a kiss to his cheek, nodding. 

“Okay. Promise you’ll call me if you need anything?”

“I will. Go, you’re going to be late.” He laughs weakly, and he can’t restrain the flinch that comes with it, but Mila doesn’t seem to notice, standing and exiting the room reluctantly.

He knew she was just worried. She always got worried when he was sick, just how he got worried when she had one of her fits. He doesn’t remember it much, but apparently, as a child he got sick extremely easily. It often ended with him in hospital, and Mila would always find a way to sneak out of the orphanage they were in to visit him. Not many people wanted a sick child, but Mila always stood firm by him, refusing to leave him even when a nice family with an even nicer home offered to take her in. 

_“If they don’t want him too, then I don’t want them!”_

The memory fills Tae Joon with guilt. All he seemed to do was ruin people’s lives. But how Mila saw a scrawny, sickly, mute boy who hardly knew a word of English and thought _‘family’_ was beyond him. She could be living a different life now, with parents, better siblings than he could ever be. A stable home…

  
  
  


“Hi.” Mila whispers, grinning and showing off the proud gap between her teeth where new ones were yet to surface. He can’t help but eye her cautiously, shifting from one foot to the other as he bites his lip, silent. “You don’t have to talk.” She continues, and he just nods. The girl had been bothering him for a few weeks now, always talking to him. Sometimes he could understand, but mostly he just stared until she continued speaking, never really minding that he didn’t reply. He tugged at his sleeve, feeling the familiar slide as his glasses slipped down his nose, watching her as if she could lash out at any moment. “Mystik said you got sick again huh? That’s why you went away for a while?”

He nods.

“But you’re better now, right? I missed you.” She smiles again, and he feels peculiar. “Hey, I heard the other kids were being mean again.” Her grin turns into a frown, just for a moment, until she resumes the smile. “Is it because of your hand?”

“Mwo?”

“Your hand. You write different, like me.”

“ihaega an dwaeyo” He stutters, looking down at the ground as tears threatened to spill again. Mila steps forward and grips his hand, giving him a piece of chalk. 

“Can you write your name?” She asks him, and this he understands. He nods, crouching down to shakily display the hangul characters across the floor. Mila laughs, and he recoils back, falling on his butt in fear. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you, TJ! It’s just you write like me!” She smiles, sitting next to him and grabbing the chalk from his hand, writing her own name next to his. She takes a moment to admire her name, before dropping the chalk and grabbing his hand, his left to hers, and she smiles. “You’re the only one like me. It means we’re meant to be together.” She giggles, squeezing his palm. He stares for a moment, then squeezes back.

“Together?” He asks, unsure, and she smiles at him.

“Forever, as family.”

  
  


Tae Joon awakes with a start, words caught in his throat that leave his eyes stinging with tears. ‘ _Yeong-wonhi gajog_ ’

He reaches for his phone, checking the time. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, and he was losing valuable hours. It was 10:37, and he sighs, unlocking the device and reading through Natalie’s message again. He hastily replies, then turns off his phone.

**Thank you, Nat. I owe you more than I could ever repay, but I promise someday I'll make it up to you.**

He groans as he sits, reaching for the glass of water Mila had left beside his bed and drinking from it desperately, feeling the excess spill down his chin and chest until his lungs burned from lack of oxygen. He stares at the food, stomach gurgling, begging him to eat, and he sighs, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and shakily standing. He was still in his skinny jeans, though they clung uncomfortably to his skin with the sweat soaked in them. Tae Joon limps over to his computer, loading it up and inputting the password, he reads over the revised code with a fresh set of eyes now that he had slept, and deemed it capable of working. He sets the program into motion and groans, tugging the clothing down his legs and swapping it for a baggier pair of sweatpants that didn’t chafe nearly as much. Eagerly grabbing the bowl, he steps out to the living room, and begins the painful walk to his kitchen.

He reasoned now was as good as any time to eat, since the program didn’t require his attention, and he would only be sitting there staring off into space anyways. Tae Joon sets the bowl into the microwave, punching in a time before turning to flick the switch on the coffee machine. This was going to be a hard search.

The ding of the microwave pulls him from his thoughts, and the smell of food makes his mouth water. He never realised how hungry he was until the first touch of the soup hit his tongue. Mila was right, janchi guksu was his favorite food - especially when he was sick. And while he wasn’t actually sick, it was certainly a huge comfort for him; it reminded him of better times. He chews at the noodles with a hum, begging to whatever higher power there was that he would find a lead. He was running out of options. Drinking up the last of the broth, Tae Joon stands, depositing the bowl in the sink and filling up his mug with coffee. Lastly, he grabs a few painkillers, heading back to his room and locking the door. 

Tae Joon sits down at his computer, moving the mouse to resume the monitor feed, and stops dead when he sees it. 

**One new trace found.**

Finally, he had a lead. He takes a sip of coffee, swallowing the pills with the liquid as he clicks the continue button, watching as the computer compiled results until he had his answer. The origin was unknown, but that just made him more sure of who’d done it. The syndicate had hacked into his computer for information on Elliott. Was it because he had been stalling lately? He didn’t usually take a week on a job, so that was a cause for concern. Damn. He was definitely under their radar, and he had to act fast if he wanted to take action. But what did he do? The job was a stable cause of income for him and Mila, but now he knew first hand just how damaging it was… He bites at his lip, closing his eyes as he thought. If he lost this money and didn’t find a new job as soon as possible, they could lose the house. But he simply didn’t feel comfortable in this line of work any longer, knowing how much he was ruining others lives. He thinks about his past targets, and about Elliott.

He wanted out.

Tae Joon nods resolutely. He was going to get out, one way or another, and he was going to help Elliott too. First, he had to make some changes to his computer - make sure that nobody could tell the information was coming from him. He first edits his IP address, obscuring it with one from thousands of miles away from his own, then takes care of the rest. And lastly, he needed a pseudonym. A code name.

**Crypto**.

He was ready to go. He loads into the program on his desktop, the one that started the whole problem in the first place, and he knows that once he starts, there’s no turning back. Tae Joon takes a breath, then loads into the syndicate database. Logically, he knows there must be a physical base of operations somewhere, a server room or some other structure, and that made his job that much easier. All the information in once place - and once he was in, he had access to all of it. Slowly, he begins to drain the mug of coffee as he worked, trying to identify any cracks within the syndicate’s servers. It was his hardest task yet, and any breaks in their security would be hairline thin at best, but he was making progress, albeit minimal. He’s about to take another break, refill his mug, when, suddenly, a popup appears on his screen - a pop up signifying he’s in. Tae Joon’s hands shake as he reaches for the mouse, as if confirming that he’s really done it, and then the system yields. He’s inside the syndicates database, and now they were at his mercy. And they were gonna pay. 

Crypto was going to leave his mark, he was going to destroy the syndicate so that Tae Joon Park could live free. So that Elliott could help his mom, unburdened.

First things first, Tae Joon needed to find Elliott’s files, and to do that would take a while. The syndicate was international, they had eyes and ears everywhere, so to take a guess at just how many informants they had working for them would be impractical, but more importantly, the amount of files this database could contain, the amount of files he could have to search through, it could take weeks. But that was time he didn’t have - he needed to fix things and fast. The choice was risky, compile a program which could speed up the search at the possible cost of the mainframe picking up a disturbance, or search manually and fly under the radar. Tae Joon bites at his lip, deep in thought as he weighed the two options up. It could be dangerous if he was caught, but he had taken precautions, according to his computer’s data he was somewhere far away, and he had the code name to further hide his identity, as well as the fact that when he had signed onto the syndicates task force, he had used a pseudonym. He wasn’t enough of an idiot to openly reveal his true name to the company, and he even used a separate bank account under the name for when they paid him. Hyeon Kim, he had called himself. He could afford to take a few risks, he had certainly taken enough precautions. 

Eventually, he reaches his decision, pulling up the code window on the second monitor and beginning to get to work. He was confident he could create a program that would slip under the radar, but he had no real way of knowing what he was dealing with unless he triggered some sort of alarm first, and that was something that simply couldn’t happen. He had fulfilled his promises to Mila, he had eaten, and made sure to drink something, and the pain in his side had began to subside to a dull ache, so now it was time to work.

It was time for Crypto to take his revenge. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to leave a like and comment if you enjoyed, it let's me know I'm doing good!


	10. Chapter 10

Tae Joon had been quiet that night, slipping into the kitchen, eyes downcast and tired as he grapples with the thought of grabbing another coffee. It's then that Mila walks in, squeezing at his shoulder softly, moving in to check his temperature with a cool hand to his forehead. 

“How are you feeling?” She asks softly, and he shrugs. He hadn’t felt much of anything today, other than an anxious sort of desperation to fix the things he had fucked up, and besides that, he’d felt pretty numb. “Your temperature has gone down, that’s good. Have you eaten?” Tae Joon nods in response.

“I reheated the soup.” He mumbles, and Mila sets out a package on the counter from her bag. She hadn’t long gotten in from work, and had evidently stopped by the store on her way home. “What’s this?” Tae Joon asks, reaching for the packet and looking at it with squinted eyes. He had a migraine, and his side was beginning to plague him again; it hurt to breathe too deeply. The writing on the side of the box read ‘green tea’, and Tae Joon looks at Mila fondly. “You didn’t have to.” He murmurs, making Mila smile. 

“It’s good for you, though. No doubt you’ve been drinking coffee all day.” Her glance is pointed, and he looks sheepish in response.

“No.” He says, then spots the sight of the coffee filter still out of the counter. Damn, busted. Mila shrugs out of her coat, humming to prove a point. 

“Whatever you say. What’ve you been up to today, you look tired.” She questions, setting the jacket down on the countertop and hovering near him like a moth to a lightbulb. He just knows it’s her way of being caring, but it makes him feel anxious, as if she could see right through him. 

“Sleeping, just messing about on my phone.” He answers, a little too quickly, and if Mila notices his shifty behavior, she doesn’t point it out - but she’s about as tired as he is, so he’s probably safe. “I do still feel tired, though, so I’ll probably get an early night-“

“Eat something first.” Mila speaks as Tae Joon turns to leave, and he feels his shoulders tensing up. “I was going to make gouchujang pork and rice, but I figured the spice wouldn’t be good for you if you’re not well.” 

“Mila, you’ve been at work all day, don’t cook.” Tae Joon sighs, taking a second to study her face. The bags under her eyes were darker, and he felt a pang of guilt hit him like a blast to the chest. “I’ve got some money left over, we could order in?” He offers, and the look of relief mixed with worry crosses her face. “We can afford it.” He reassures, pulling open the kitchen drawer and digging around for a food menu, as well as his wallet that was sat on the countertop. He pulls out some cash and throws it down on the menu, stretching. “Order me whatever, I’m going to try and nap, wake me up when it gets here?” He asks, and Mila nods, eyes looking at the money nervously. 

It was by habit, he knows this by now, they had always scraped by together since they were old enough to move out of the orphanage at eighteen. The feeling of relief they felt when they could finally afford a place to stay after months of couch surfing was immeasurable, but that only meant they had to fight harder to save every penny they could. Tae Joon eyed his bed, longing for nothing more than to collapse into its embrace and sleep the night away, but he carries on walking until he reaches his desk chair, falling into it with a sigh, followed by a winded grunt of pain. He had forgotten about his ribs. They still ached. 

Now, where had he left off? He was almost finished with the code that would allow him to search through the syndicates files, that brought him one step closer to fixing this once and for all. His fingers resume their familiar pattern on the keyboard, and soon enough, the man behind the screen wasn’t Tae Joon, a man scared of what could inevitably go wrong in his life, no. He was Crypto, a seeker of justice, the man that would fix things, help people. With a final click, the program is ready to go, and Tae Joon feels his breath catch in his throat. This was the moment of truth. If this set off an alarm of sorts, he could be locked out for good, but _he had to try_. For Elliott. He sets the program in motion, holding his breath and waiting for the dreaded sounds of his failure, but then, nothing. He had done it. He was one step closer to finding out the truth. The data reading back into his second monitor was all gibberish, of course, it was encrypted. That was expected, but he knew that with some time and enough determination (of which he knew he had more than enough), he knew he could find the key. It was just a case of trial and error, but on a careful enough basis that he didn’t accidentally engage any security protocols. He sets the parameters and begins the search, and not a moment later, Mila is calling him. 

Tae Joon exits his room with more hope for the future than he’s held in a while. He smiles at his sister, watching as she plates the food up, and his growling stomach gives away his position. 

“Hey, sleep well?” 

“Mhm.” He lied, stepping forward and picking a piece of shrimp from his plate and biting into it. “What time is it?” 

“About nine, why?” Mila asks back, and Tae Joon swallows the food, biting his lip.

“Gotta make a phone call real quick. Leave my food there, thanks Mila!” He turns to the door at the other end of the kitchen, one that was rarely used, and opens it, slipping out into the cool night air. His fingers scroll through the contacts as he leans against the balcony railing, until they land on Natalie, and he presses call hoping she’s still awake. 

“Tae Joon?”

“Ya, you wanted to talk?” He asks, running a hand through his hair. He’s beginning to regret coming out here barefoot, though, because it’s pretty damn cold, and his feet are going numb. 

“Oui, but how are you feeling?” Natalie asks, voice full of worry and Tae Joon can’t bring himself to lie to her. 

“Better, I’m… I’m working something out, Nat. Now, what’s wrong?” It feels good to get it off his chest, even if he’s only speaking in half truths and cryptic riddles. Natalie laughs anxiously.

“It’s… Nothing’s wrong, Tae Joon. I was just wondering if you could do something for me.”

“Anything.” He finds himself answering before he can stop himself, and Natalie laughs again, uneven and lilted, she’s nervous. 

“I’ve been thinking… And I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while, I just wasn’t sure how…” She explains, and Tae Joon feels his throat tightening. Was she... “Could you… Could you maybe give me Mila’s number? O-Or just let her know I’m interested, um…” Natalie pauses. “Whatever isn’t creepy or something…” 

Tae Joon’s shoulders drop from the tension they were holding, and he laughs softly, letting out a secret sigh of relief. He thought, for a moment there, that Natalie had been trying to confess to _him_. Which, while it would have been sweet, and he admittedly did have a crush on her when they had begun being friends a while ago, he was too set on making things right with Elliott at the moment - Even if after everything the man still didn’t decide to forgive him. 

“Sure, Nat. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled. I’ve got to go eat, talk to you soon.”

“Oh, okay. And Tae Joon? Thank you, so much. Sweet dreams, mon ami.” 

“Goodnight.” He smiles, hanging up the call. He owed her from yesterday, this was the least he could do. And besides, the pair had been anxiously stepping around each other all semester, it would be good to see them finally get together. He tugs open the rusty patio door, shutting and latching it securely behind him as he welcomes the warm air on his skin. 

“Everything all right?” Mila calls from the living room, and Tae Joon is quick to grab his food to join her on the couch, smiling. 

“Ya.” He replies simply, knowing that Mila would be curious and prod as to what he was talking about, and who he was talking to. If there was one thing they had in common, it’s that they were both nosy. 

“So, interesting conversation that you needed privacy for?” She nudges him with her foot, grinning. 

“Yup.” He replies again, dragging it out. She huffs. 

“Care to share it?”

“Maybe.” He grins, making her groan. 

“C’mon, seriously, TJ. What could possibly be so important that you’re teasing me like-”

“It was Natalie.” He replies, making Mila tense, and try to appear non-too-interested. 

“Oh?”

“Ya. She wanted to ask you out on a date.” He takes a mouthful of food, and Mila kicks him, making him choke.

“Very funny, baby brother. But seriously, what did she say?” She asks, rolling her eyes. Tae Joon simply stares at her in response. “Oh my god, you’re not joking are you? D-Did she say like… Or was she… Oh wow.” Mila’s face is about as red as her hair as she struggles for words, staring down into her takeout carton as if that would give her all the answers. “What do I do?” Tae Joon’s jaw drops.

“What do you mean what should you do? Go out with her!” He splutters, and Mila turns to him, groaning.

“No, but like, what if she doesn’t _like_ me?” She asks, as if it’s obvious. 

“Ssi-bal, Mila, She is literally asking you on a date!” He somehow feels like they had switched roles from the other day. Usually it was him that was clueless about the machinations of romance, but he had never seen Mila this shy before. Usually she was proudly taking the lead in her relationships, and well, Tae Joon had never dated anyone, but even to him the answer was obvious. “Look, Mila. She likes you, a lot. Natalie wouldn’t joke about this, and I know you like her too. Just give it a chance, talk to her.” He reassures her, leaning in to squeeze at her hand until she nods. 

“Thanks TJ.” She sighs, smiling. “Could you maybe… Give me her number? I wanna talk to her a bit first before.” 

“Ya, I'll text you it.” He nods, resuming eating his now nearly cold food. He didn’t mind too much, he was too hungry to care. 

The siblings said their good nights, and Tae Joon delivered on his promise, sending Natalie’s number to Mila’s phone. Once he shuts his bedroom door, he leans against it heavily, sighing. Sure, it felt good to see his two favorite people finally get together - he wanted them to be happy, but he also wanted to feel that himself. He had felt a genuine kind of connection with Elliott, one that he wasn’t sure if he would ever feel again. A mass of emotions hit him like a brick wall, and he longs to go to bed, sleep and forget about everything until tomorrow, but he knows that’s not wise. He only had a limited amount of time before a server sweep could detect him, and so he settles at his desk, taking a sip of his mug of green tea, and inputs his password. He was honestly shocked to see that his program had already deciphered the key, but ultimately, he was relieved. He checks the cypher a few times manually, and eventually concludes that it is in fact correct. ‘ _One step closer._ ’ He thinks, and he can’t help but smile. 

He searches for his fake name, Hyeon Kim, hoping to find Elliott attached to his profile. That would certainly make things much easier, should he need to make any hasty decisions if he got caught. A lot of the process of these types of jobs was simply waiting. Waiting for his code to discover something, but it was something he had become accustomed to after his many months of work. He takes another drink, feeling the warm liquid soothe his aches if only for a moment, and he lets his eyes rest shut to quell the stinging. He'd been awake for, what? Two days now? He was no stranger to late nights, but he usually made sure to get at least an hours rest between his job and his life as a student…

When Tae Joon comes to, his first thought is that he's cold. Like, extremely cold. He takes a breath and his back and ribs ache deeply, and his eyes feel dry and itchy. He groans, opening them to look at what had happened, and comes face to face with his computer screen. Had he… Fallen asleep? He reaches for the mug of tea and finds it was cold, to which he was disappointed. ' _I was looking forward to that._ ' He thinks grumpily to himself, taking a moment to stretch as much as the reverberations in his ribs would allow, and then he's reaching for the computer mouse again to wake the screen up. 3:36 AM - he had been asleep for a while. 

What greets him in the screen is a profile with his pseudonym, Hyeon Kim, and he holds his breath while examining the information. It seemed they didn't have any leads on him, other than the bank details he had given them. Good. And his current target was listed to his name, along with the sum he would received for completing it. ' _That's a lot of money.'_ Tae Joon thinks, and feels guilty. It was a reminder of why he had taken such a dangerous job in the first place; a sum like that could pay his rent for months. He chooses to ignore it, though, and clicks onto Elliott's page of the database. It contained his project file, and some basic information that Tae Joon himself had provided to them. 

**Elliott R Witt, 23, currently studying engineering at Apex IMC College, owns a bar named 'The Paradise Lounge' in Solace, holds family in high regard, missing brother(s) - 3, has a side job as a cam model under the name 'Mirage'.**

Nothing seemed unusual about the file, so just why did the syndicate want the information so desperately that they'd _hack_ him for it? He digs into the source code, bringing up a small tab with 'insider information', and freezes.

**Contract commissioner: Hammond Robotics**

_The_ Hammond Robotics? As in the lead competitor in engineering Hammond Robotics? Just why were they targeting Elliott? What could he have possibly done to deserve this? It didn't make sense. He ponders for a moment, and brings up his trusty programming window, beginning to once again make alterations to the code. He couldn't possibly rest until he knew the whole truth. Soon enough, he had something that he knew would work, and then he had his answer in the form of a detailed, now unencrypted email from the head of a local Hammond Robotics branch to the contractors at the syndicate. 

**Now that we've put Evelynn Witt out of business, we firmly believe we can coerce her son onto our side, however, some persuasive material would be beneficial to the cause should he put up any signs of disagreement. We want Elliott Witt as an apprentice to our firm, and we will have him. The boy continuing to work for his mother will only further hinder us. See to it that the appropriate measures are taken that their reputation can be destroyed should he resist.**

"What the fuck?" Tae Joon whispers into the dark room, eyes widened in shock. This was unreal, what he was reading was like a kick to the face. 

**See to it that the appropriate measures are taken that their reputation can be destroyed should he resist.**

He had to act quickly. 

Tae Joon fumbles for one of the many external hard drives littered about his desk, slotting it in and copying the contents of the letter over for safe keeping, along with the contents of Elliott's profile for safe keeping. He needed evidence, and this was the best way to keep it safe. He ejects the USB and holds onto it, knuckles white around the plastic as his shaking fingers clutch the information. He had done it. But it still wasn't enough. Tae Joon sets the memory stick aside, fingertips brushing over the keys as he ponders for a moment. He had taken enough precautions, right? So surely he deserved this. He falls into the all too practiced motions of typing, executing a command with a nod that leaves him jittery with anticipation, and then it's done. 

The note he leaves the Syndicate is brief, but fitting. 

**If you risk the lives of innocents, you risk getting caught. Watch your back, and don't be an idiot. - Crypto**

The logo that flickers in and out of frame on the screen is mocking, but not to him. Tae Joon smirks, nodding. It was time to make his final move. He reaches for the mouse, deleting the information on Elliott and then himself, or rather, Hyeon Kim. No more information on Elliott, no more project files, no more informant. He was done playing their game. A quick email under his new found pseudonym was easily done, and then it's over. Tae Joon could finally rest, and the tears that leaked down his cheeks were warm and welcome in the quickly lightening room. He had won - the first half of the battle, anyway. 

  
  


It's hours later, but he found himself unable to rest, too shaky and eager to fix things for sleep to soothe him, but eventually, it's time for class. But Tae Joon had other plans. He pulls on his coat, and leaves the contact lenses in favour of his glasses; his eyes were in no mood for more irritation any time soon. He's aware that he's limping, as he slips out of the house before Mila wakes, determined despite every step bringing a pain to his side. When Tae Joon reaches the classroom, he's more than lucky to find Elliott sat inside, alone for the moment. Anxiously, he takes a shuddering breath, but then he steps inside, shutting the door. "Witt, we need to talk." He croaks, and Elliott jumps. The man looks tired too, and scared, as Tae Joon approaches him, as if he might attack him at any moment. 

"I told you never to talk to me again or I'd-"

"Ya. I have answers." Tae Joon cuts him off, tone insistent and harsh, but it does the job of shutting Elliott up enough so that he can speak freely. "I'll tell you everything you want to know, just please…" Tae Joon swallows the lump in his throat, willing himself to carry on for just a while longer. "Come with me." 

Elliott eyes him dubiously, and that's to be expected given the state of his body at the moment. He's sweating from the pain, and his eyes are dark and sallow, muscles shaking from the fatigue. 

"How do I know you won't try to kill me, huh?" Elliott asks, and he looks angry, but scared. Like a caged animal.

"Name a place, anywhere public, I'll go. I just need to tell you-"

"I heard you the first time." The man snaps, and sighs, rubbing a hand along his beard as if deep in thought. "Alright. Come on." Elliott stands, slinging his bag over his shoulder and pushing past him to leave the room. Luckily no one else was out in the hallway to question where they were going, and why Elliott was skipping class with a person he had seemingly only interacted with once.

They walk in silence, and Tae Joon chews at his lip, fiddling with the USB in his pocket as if it was a lifeline. Every set of eyes on him felt like a stab against his skin, making him flinch and shy away against the collar of his coat, pulling it up further to obscure his face. He almost bumps into Elliott when the man stops suddenly, in front of a small storefront, and Elliott turns to him, glaring. "I swear, try anything funny here and you'll regret it. The owners know me and they're- they're armed." His voice waivers, and Tae Joon is quick to reassure him. 

“I’m not an idiot, I wouldn’t hurt you.” He replies, and Elliott scoffs, but opens the door, and Tae Joon recognizes the interior as the cafe Elliott seemed to love taking selfies in so much. The place was mostly empty, except for the staff, and Elliott pulls Tae Joon by his arm to a small side booth, shoving a menu into his hands. Tae Joon blinks in surprise, cocking a brow. “Order something.” No explanation. 

“Uh, alright.” Tae Joon mumbles, and he watches as Elliott puts on a smile for the waitress he knows by name, flirting slightly in a way that makes his own chest tighten with envy. Tae Joon orders tea, and then a grilled cheese when Elliott shoots him a glare over the other side of the table. Once the waitress is gone, Elliott leans forward, lacing his hands together on the table. 

“So? What do you have to say, huh?” He asks, tone hostile and aggressive, and Tae Joon has trouble understanding it all. Elliott makes him order food, then interrogates him? The switch from kind to cruel was something that made his head spin, but this wasn’t about him. 

“I want to tell you everything… I’m… I’m sorry, Elliott. I know what I did was wrong and I do not expect you to forgive me, but you made me realize how horrible my job was.” He takes a second to breathe, looking down at the fabric of his jeans and picking at a loose thread. “I wasn’t lying when I told you about me, or my sister. I truly did this because I was desperate, but when I saw what they were doing to you-”

“What? You felt guilty?” Elliott scoffs, “How many more lives before mine did you ruin?”

“Too many.” Tae Joon croaks, jaw setting in anger. He would never forgive himself for that. “But I thought maybe I could… Fix things.” 

“Keep talking, Wiretap.” Elliott folds his arms, looking even less amused.

“I didn’t know your circumstance. We were about to lose the apartment, so I took the job. When I accidentally initiated contact, I wanted to call it off, but I risked losing my home... And then…” he falls silent as the waitress returns, setting down their food, and Tae Join reaches for the mug, cupping his hands around it silently. When the woman leaves, he swallows the hot tea to hold off from speaking a minute longer, closing his eyes as he spits out the words. “I got to know you, Elliott. For the first time in a long while, it felt like having a friend. So I started stalling, I stopped gathering information on you, because it made me feel horrible… And so when you confronted me-“ When he opens his eyes, Elliott flinches, and just for a second, Tae Joon sees guilt behind those dark eyes. “I knew something was wrong. I hadn’t submitted your file, so the people I worked for shouldn’t have known.” Tae Joon scrubs a hand over his face, sighing. “I spent days looking through every file on my computer, and eventually I found it- They had hacked me to obtain the information. I knew that was abnormal, so I looked into it. And I found this.” He slides the printed copy of the file over to Elliott, along with the email. 

“What the fuck?” Elliott whispers, as his eyes scan over the text, brow deeply furrowed in disgust. He looks up at Tae Joon, and his eyes are full of tears. Tae Joon longs to lean over the table and brush them away, but he maintains his composure, fingers twitching. 

“I deleted everything, Elliott. Every bit of information they had on you. They won’t come for you again.” He reaches into his pocket and hands him the USB. “It’s all on here, and yours to destroy.” Elliott takes the plastic into his hand, observing it closely, and then he looks at Tae Joon, squinting suspiciously.

“A-And what? I’m just supposed to believe you?” He asks, snorting, and Tae Joon shoves his hands into his pockets, leaning back against the seat. 

“Believe what you want, Witt. I’m not here to convince you, just inform you.” His tone is level, and his face is blank, but inside Tae Joon desperately hoped that Elliott did believe him. “And I suppose you haven’t seen the news today.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.” Elliott asks, fishing his phone out of his pocket and typing for a moment as Tae Joon bites into the sandwich, grateful for the food that would for the most part quell his shaking. “Holy shit… This was you?”

“Ya.”

**Thanks to an anonymous tip off to local law enforcements, the head of a local Hammond Robotics chain has been arrested under suspicion of working with an international crime syndicate, infamously known for causing a wide chain of destruction across the globe. Further investigations have been conducted into this so called ‘company’, as for the first time government law inforcers have been granted a lead into infiltrating their servers all thanks to one individual, going by the name ‘Crypto’. Who is this person, and what is their motive?**

“You… But what about your job?” Elliott asks, seemingly struggling to process his emotions until he shoves his face into his hands, shoulders shaking with sobs. 

“I’ll figure something out.” Tae Joon soothes, humming as he reaches over to lightly pat at the man’s back. “Oh, and another thing.” He draws Elliott’s attention, nodding down to the USB on the tabletop. "There's an apology in there too, a gift, if you will. Money. Just follow the instructions and you can take as much as you'd like, just please…" he pauses, swallowing the lump in his throat as he closes his eyes. "Know I'm sorry, Elliott, sincerely." 

Elliott stares at the man, eyes wide and mouth open, unsure. 

“M-Money?” He asks, “W-Where… How did you-”

“I took it from _them_. They won’t miss it.” Tae Joon says, casually, and Elliott picks up his fork, beginning to eat to distract himself from the absurdity of the situation. 

“Isn’t that… I don’t know… Dangerous?” He asks, and Tae Joon grins. 

“Elliott, the whole operation was dangerous, the cops are so busy with their new plaything they won’t notice a bit of cash is missing.” The man laughs, and Elliott finds it strange finally putting a face to the sound, his eyes closed and crinkled, and his smile was downright infectious.

“Well, what about you? Can you pay your rent?” His concern for a man that he was previously pissed off at twenty minutes ago was extremely endearing.

“I’ve taken care of it for the next few months. I suppose I’d better start job hunting, huh?” Tae Joon laughs again, feeling at ease in Elliott’s company. They finish eating in relative silence, and Elliott pays the bill despite Tae Joon’s protests, and before they know it, they’re stood outside the store.

“You know, I still don’t know your name.” Elliott says, voice low and soft, and the sound makes his heart race.

“Tae Joon.” He answers, breathily, and then it hits him how close they are; Tae Joon could reach out and run his fingers across that unfairly smooth looking skin, if he wanted. He watches as Elliott’s tongue travels over those plush lips, swallowing thickly as they simply stare at each other, unsure. Elliott was tall, Tae Joon notes, still a good inch or so taller than him even with the boots, and he looked so much more pretty up close. "It might be selfish to ask this, but… Can I see you again?" He asks, quickly breaking their gaze to stare at the floor, cheeks flushed. 

"I'd like that." Elliott responds, and Tae Joon's eyes widen. He had expected to be turned down, but this was a pleasant surprise. "Um. I'm going out tonight, with some friends, to see a movie… Do you maybe wanna…" 

' _Go on a date?_ ' 

"I wouldn't be intruding?" He asks cautiously, and Elliott shakes his head. 

"N-No, no. No, uh, Renee couldn't make it so it would just be… Uh, no. It's fine, really." Elliott stumbles, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly. 

"Okay." Tae Joon nods, and Elliott smiles, laughing nervously.

"Oh, uh, great! That's great I uh. I-I'll call you! Or uh, I-I-I suppose I should give you my number um, hold on." Elliott stutters out, grabbing his phone and holding it with shaking hands. The exchange is brief, and eventually, Elliott sighs happily. "Well, that's enough excitement for now, I think... I'll see you tonight?" 

"Yeah. Goodbye, Elliott." Tae Joon smiles, feeling happier than he had done in a long time. He had done it. He had won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to like and comment if you enjoyed, it lets me know I'm doing good!


	11. Chapter 11

Was it a date? Tae Joon panicked, looking at the mess of clothing in his wardrobe. He didn't know what to wear for this - was it casual? _Was it a date_? Tae Joon didn't have a clue, and he bit his lip, running a sweating hand through his hair, and then grimaces. Greasy. He supposed that was as good a place as any to start, he was tired, and a shower might wake him up a little too. 

**TJ: Mila. Need help ASAP. You home soon?**

The reply is almost instantaneous.

**Mila: Something wrong?**

**TJ: Yes? No? Maybe?**

**Mila: Who do I need to kill?**

There's a brief lapse in her messages, where he's assuming she was waiting tables or something. 

**Mila: I'm on my way home, be right there.**

Tae Joon sighs in relief, nodding. He figured he was probably overreacting, but this was his first time ever doing anything like this, and the anxiety had kept him awake. When had he last slept? He racks his brain, remembering the nap he had woken up from in the early hours of the morning, but besides that, he had been awake for nearly three days. He was beyond tired, but he knew that if he napped now, there would be no way he would wake up before midday tomorrow. The telltale sound of the front door unlocking draws him from his thoughts, and then Mila is barreling into his room, looking panicked. 

"Is everything okay?" She asks, tone worried. Tae Joon sighs, rubbing at his eyes. 

"Mila, we need to talk." 

"Okay." She grabs his hand and pulls him to the bed, and they sit and stare at each other for a second while Tae Joon finds his words.

"I may have-"

"I know." 

"Huh?" He answers, intelligently. He studies her face for a moment, watching the smile break out over her features as she laughs, squeezing his hands. 

"I know, Tae Joon. I saw the news, and with everything you told me the other day I guess I just put it together." 

"O-Oh, right." He replies, licking at his dry lips anxiously and pulling his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Hey, don't be so worried. We're safe. You got the money, though, right?"

"Of course, who do you take me for?" He asks, scoffing playfully, and she grins, punching at his arm.

"That's my brother! Always one step ahead, huh?" She smiles, and Tae Joon can't help but laugh, leaning back against the headboard of his bed. 

"But I need your help with something." He continues, making Mila cock her pierced brow.

"Oh? And what might that be?" 

"I spoke to Elliott today, cleared everything up…" Tae Joon feels his face darkening. "He asked me if I wanted to see a movie." 

"Tae, that's awesome!" Mila cheers, but Tae Joon shrugs.

"I-I just… He asked if I wanted to see a movie with him _and his friends."_ He clarifies, looking away. "I don't know if it's a date or…" 

"Oh."

"Yeah." He sighs, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. It was quickly becoming a staple of his, he decided. It was comfortable and not too warm. "I'm still going, it's just…" He searches for the words, embarrassed. "I don't know how to dress. I don't want to send the wrong idea." 

When he looks at Mila again, she's giving him that look again, the one that screams a soft endearment that also usually meant that he was being an idiot. 

"Dress how you do when you hang out with Natalie." She tells him, standing from her perch on the edge of the mattress to begin rooting through his clothes, humming and sighing as if she was equal parts impressed and infuriated by his lack of style. Eventually, though, he gets bored of her whining, and stands up too.

"I'm going to shower." He tells her, and turns to head to the bathroom.

"Don't preen for too long!" Mila calls back to him, making him roll his eyes. 

With the bathroom door safely locked behind him, Tae Joon begins to strip, pulling his coat off and throwing the clothes into a messy pile in the corner of the room. Left in only his boxers, he pauses, deep in thought. Mila had gotten him a fancy kind of wash set for Christmas, and he hadn't used it yet. He figured now was as good a time as any, and digs around in the cabinet below the sink until he finds it, opening it up. Taking out the new shower gel and shampoo set, he pulls down the remaining clothing and turns on the faucet. The hotness of the water felt amazing against his sweaty skin, and Tae Joon groans, scrubbing at his scalp with the tips of his fingers, shivering at the feeling of his nails scraping the shaved back and sides. He couldn't believe he was going to spend time with Elliott, _in real life_. The stutter the man had earlier in the day was unbelievably cute, and a stark contrast to the ' _Mirage_ ' persona that Tae Joon had come to know so well. Just the thought of Elliott had him flushing, and before he knew it, his cock was half hard at the memory of those moans so perfectly ingrained in his mind along with his own hands massaging the shower gel into his skin. Tae Joon splutters, quickly reaching for the temperature gauge and sharply turning it left, drenching himself in a torrent of ice cold water with a shriek. He wasn't going to mess it up this time - and if that meant putting his dick on a metaphorical leash, he would gladly do it. He washes off quickly, and squeezes a dollop of shampoo into his hair, frowning. Why was he so easily excited when it came to things like that? It was downright embarrassing, and if anything like that happened while he was out tonight, he'd might as well curl up and die. Tae Joon washes out the lathers and turns off the water flow, stepping out of the shower to grab at a towel to dry his hair. He then wraps the cloth around his waist, retrieving his coat from the pile and throwing the rest of his clothes into the dirty laundry. Against the kitchen counter, his phone vibrates, and Tae Joon pads over to it, reading the caller ID. Mystik. He swipes, answering, and is immediately assaulted by an excited voice.

"Is it true? Do you have a date tonight?" Mystik asks, making Tae Joon groan. Mila, that girl, never able to keep her mouth shut.

"Ya, hi to you too, Mystik." He responds, leaning against the countertop with a grin. It wasn't often he got to speak with her, now that they had moved out, but she always took the time to check up on them. 

"Tae Joon Park, you didn't tell me you were seeing anyone!" She fake scolds, making him laugh.

"Well, I'm not. Not really. Not yet, anyway. I'm not sure if it's a date, Mystik, I'm just going to spend some time with him." Tae Joon says grinning.

"Ah, I wondered how long it would take."

"Huh?" He asks, and he can practically hear the smile in Mystik's voice. 

"You finally figured out you like boys too, I assume." She clarifies, and Tae Joon splutters.

"H-How long have you known?!" He asks, mouth agape. 

"A long time, dear. You and Mila both, it seems. I hope you're both doing well, and I won't keep you long. Do visit sometime, and bring your boyfriend will you? I'd like to meet the man that's stolen my baby boy's heart." She teases, making Tae Joon groan, face red. 

"Mystik!" He whines. "Okay, I will. Annyeong." He hangs up the phone, smiling to himself as he tries and fails to compose himself. And then he notices it, a text from Elliott. 

**Uh, Hey Tae Joon… Did I spell that right? Oh boy… Anyways! We're setting off soon, just wanted to check in on you and make sure you're not running off on us. Still down?**

Tae Joon looks at the message, biting his lip. It was now or never. 

**Ya. Where should I meet you?**

He quickly turns off the screen, heart racing as he steps back towards his bedroom and enters, throwing his phone on his bed as if it was burning his hand. 

"Good conversation?" Mila asks cheekily, making Tae Joon groan.

"I'll kill you one of these days, Mila." He retorts, making his sister laugh. 

"But seriously, speaking of dates." Mila begins, drawing his attention. "Guess who's going out to a niche coffee house with a cute girl tomorrow night?" She points a thumb at herself, grinning. "This gal!"

"Joh-a!" Tae Joon cheers, grinning widely. It seems they were both lucky lately. 

"Woah, what happened to you?" Mila asks, as she notices the bruising on his side. It was still dark, but not as angry as it had been previously. Tae Joon shrugs.

"Long story, not important. I've got to leave soon, did you find me something to wear?" He asks, and Mila smirks.

"Nope. Figured you'd make a good impression in your birthday suit." She chuckles, making Tae Joon roll his eyes.

"Hilarious." He deadpans, and Mila throws a balled up pair of boxer shorts at him. He grabs them and slips them on under the towel, then pulls off the soaked garment and drops it to the side. 

"But seriously, check this out. Cute, and casual." She waves him over to the outfit laid out on the bed, and he has to admit, it looks good. 

"You think he'll like it?" Tae Joon asks, smoothing the fabric down to remove any creases as he looks at himself in the mirror. Black skinny jeans, a green plaid flannel shirt and a grey sweatshirt over that. He slips his glasses onto his face and his teeth find his lip again, pinching the skin until his sister smacks at his arm, silently telling him to stop.

"Of course he will, now hurry up and put your shoes on. Do you know where you're meeting him?" 

He didn't. Tae Joon quickly reaches for his phone, snatching it off the rumpled sheets of his bed and unlocking it to see the message Elliott had sent. 

**Cool, cool. It's the theater down near the college, hope that's not too far?**

Tae Joon quickly texts an affirmative as his eyes check the time, and he swears under his breath, pulling on his worn pair of sneakers. Time to go. He reaches for his coat, pulling it over him and spending a few more seconds messing with his hair before Mila is pushing him out the front door. "Have fun, use protection." She teases, making him groan as the door shuts behind him. He was trying to avoid thoughts like that, and for good reason. Just the thought of doing anything like that with Elliott was making blush like an idiot, and so he hopes the cool evening air will soothe his skin, and carries on walking.

He hears Elliott before he sees him, and the two friends that accompany him, too. They’re all significantly loud, the lady that’s with them less so, but even still, Tae Joon hesitated. Maybe it was a mistake trying to level himself into Elliott’s friendship group like this - what if they all thought he was an idiot?

“Hey, you made it!” Elliott calls, walking over with a smile on his face that made Tae Joon’s heart flutter madly. Elliott stops in front of him, and gestures to the pair tailing behind him. “Meet the gang- or uh, most of it anyways, Renee had to cancel. She sits next to me in class, you probably know her.” Elliott rambles, and Tae Joon nods wordlessly. He knew _of her_ , to say the least, but he wasn’t about to mention that. 

“C’mon with ya, Witt, ya talking the boys ear off.” The girl gives Elliott a playful shove, and Elliott laughs, nodding.

“Sorry, sorry. This is Ajay, medical student.”

“And the best damn one out there too!” The shorter male of the group pipes up, eyes squinted in what Tae Joon assumed was a smile behind the face mask covered in sharp looking teeth. 

“Nuh romp wid me, Silva - That’s Tavi.” The girl, Ajay, scolds the man next to her before introducing him casually, and Tae Joon is taken aback.

“S-Silva… Like-”

“Si, but we don’t talk about that. What’s your name compadre?” Tavi asks, leaning his weight on one of his metal prosthetics, arms crossed.

“Tae Joon Park.” He replies, and Tavi nods. 

“Cool, now we’re all acquainted or whatever let’s get moving, I’m bored.” The shorter man turns and begins walking, and Elliott sticks close to Tae Joon’s side, breath ticking the side of his face as he whispers.

“Sorry about him, he comes across rude but he means well.” Elliott tells him, and Tae Joon can barely hear him over the pair in front’s bickering. 

“Are they dating?” He finds himself asking, and Elliott laughs, rolling his eyes.

"No one knows. I don't even think they know. Regardless, I didn't want to third wheel tonight, so I invited you, hope you don’t mind.”

Tae Joon didn’t mind, any excuse to spend time with Elliott was a good one. 

“So, what’s Octavio studying?” Tae Joon asks eventually as they head inside, and Elliott grins.

“Don’t let you hear you call him that, he’ll get huffy.” Elliott chuckles, and cuts off Tae Joon before he can ask the question. “Ajay’s known him since he was knee high, which given his height could have been like, last week for all we know.” The man jokes, and then shrugs. “His family is a touchy subject. They’re driving him to complete a medical degree so he can carry on their business but he’s got his heart set on a track and field scholarship. Kid’s crazy fast.”

Ajay and Octavio return a minute later from buying the tickets, and Tae Joon thanks them quietly, reaching into his jacket pocket for his wallet. “Oh, I got it, don’t worry about that.” Elliott waves his hand dismissively, already forking over the cash. 

“Are you sure?” Tae Joon asks, biting at his lip until Elliott nods, and he sighs. "At least let me buy some snacks for you, then." 

Octavio mumbles something, and Ajay punches him on the shoulder, Elliott shuffling awkwardly on his feet as a response to their antics. 

"Oh um, o-okay… If you insist, I mean. I'm not really bothered, but…" 

"C'mon, amigos, let's go! The movie starts soon, rapido!" Octavio whines, beginning to move towards the snack counter where Ajay was quick to follow, eyeing him closely.

"Nothin' too sugary, Tavi, I don't wanna be restraining you half the movie cause you can't sit still!" 

"Kinky." Elliott laughs, grabbing Tae Joon's hand and pulling him along gently. "C'mon, slowpoke!" Elliott calls behind him as Tae Joon follows, and pauses when he sees the flush on the man's face, letting go of his hand. "O-Oh, um. Sorry, I didn't mean to…" Elliott clears his throat, and Tae Joon tries to restrain himself from frowning at the lack of contact. Elliott's hand was warm and soft. Was his own hand sweating? What if Elliott thought it was gross? He supposed it didn't matter much now that the man had let go, and follows behind, trying to maintain his composure.

"What do you want?" Tae Joon asks, and Elliott looks reluctant.

"I really don't mind, you know. Um, you don't have to spend any money on me." He laughs awkwardly and Tae Joon smiles.

"Elliott, you bought me lunch earlier and paid for the movie, it's the least I could do." Tae Joon reassures him, and seeing the small shy smile that graced those perfect lips is enough to make his day.

"Oh, okay… Um. Just some popcorn is fine, thank you." 

Tae Joon makes the purchase, and even convinces Elliott to buy a drink too, along with one for himself, and eventually they're moving into the theatre, settling in their seats, and Tae Joon can feel the heat radiating off Elliott's body. He smells nice too, with whatever cologne he uses, and it makes his stomach do a flip as the lights dim. Tae Joon then realises he doesn't even know what movie they're watching, and prays it's not a horror type. Every time he had tried to watch one with Mila, he had trouble stepping into a room without turning on the lights for weeks after. Elliott offers the box of popcorn over to him, and Tae Joon takes a small handful, whispering a thank you as the opening credits begin on the screen. 

  
  


Tae Joon groans as he shifts in the plush seat, leaning against the warmth he felt. He was still tired, why was it so loud? Eventually, he opens his eyes, inspecting his surroundings, and he realises he's still in the movie theater, and there's a warm weight across his shoulders. He lifts a hand to rub at his eyes as the end sequence plays out on the big screen in front of him, and Elliott's warm breath fans across his cheek. "Hey, sleepyhead." He teases, and Tae Joon realises with a start he's got his head on Elliott's chest. He pulls back, apologising, and an infuriated ' _shh!_ ' comes from behind them. Elliott removes his arm from around Tae Joon, smiling softly. "Sorry. You looked comfortable, figured I'd let you rest." 

Tae Joon feels hot all over, and he just knows his face is scarlet. He had fell asleep on Elliott, and the man had let him! What if he'd made him feel uncomfortable? What if he'd felt obliged to touch him? What if- "You're cute when you're asleep. Uh, w-was that creepy? Sorry." Elliott stammers, and Tae Joon didn't think it was possible to feel any more flustered. 

"I-I um…" Tae Joon struggles for a reply, and as the credits roll on screen, the lights brighten, and before he can come up with a response, Octavio and Ajay are standing, already chattering away about the movie Tae Joon had missed. Elliott stands, and Tae Joon does as well, and the group begin their descent down the stairs until they're in the hallway, and Ajay halts.

"Hold on a sec, I gotta go to the bathroom."

"Ay, chica, can't you hold it?" Octavio complains, and Ajay scoffs. 

"No, Silva, I can't."

"You're gonna make me wait? Laaaame." Octavio whines, and while the pair are arguing, Elliott grabs at Tae Joon's hand, pulling him through the lobby and outside until they reach a sheltered looking alcove.

"Hi." Elliott coos, and Tae Joon laughs nervously.

"Hey." He replies, and clears his throat. "Elliott, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep, it mustn't have been much fun for you." 

"Yeah, it wasn't." Elliott says, and Tae joon feels immensely guilty. "That movie was terrible, you really didn't miss much." The man laughs. "But it's okay. In fact, I think I envy you, I wish I didn't have to watch it." Elliott jokes, and when Tae Joon is unable to come up with an answer, the pair lapse into silence. A cold gust of wind hits them, and Elliott shivers, offering Tae Joon an awkward smile. "Oh man, I knew I should have listened to my mom and brought a jacket. Damn my amazing fashion sense." He laughs, and Tae Joon smiles, already pulling his coat off his arms. He offers the garment to Elliott, who holds up a hand. "Aw, c'mon kid, I can't take your coat." Elliott pouts, "You'll catch your death out here like that." 

"I don't mind, it's not really that cold." Tae Joon shrugs. Elliott was only in a t shirt and a pair of jeans, and he knew he couldn't let the man walk home like that. They go back and forth until Elliott finally relents, sliding the thick material onto his shoulders and Tae Joon is breathless at the sight. The coat suited him, and the fact that it belonged to him was even better. He pretends he misses the inhale he hears Elliott take, and silently pats himself on the back for his choice of breaking out the fancier smelling soap tonight. 

Tae Joon is caught off guard by the hand that lifts itself to his face, fingertips smoothing over the sharpness of his jaw until they move to cup his cheek, and in a moment of never before felt bravery, Tae Joon grabs the collar of the coat Elliott wore and pulls him in. Their lips meet, and Elliott moans softly into the kiss, a hand on either side of Tae Joon's face as his fingers slide up into his hair, pushing him back against the wall and pinning him there with his body. Tae Joon gasps into the kiss, their noses knocking together clumsily and he hopes his inexperience doesn't show too clearly, and then he's leaning in further, embracing the feeling of Elliott's warm body against his when the man bites at his lip. Elliott's tongue presses into his mouth, and Tae Joon whines, eyes squeezed shut as he chases the feeling, hands sliding from their purchase against the collar of his coat to cup around the back of the man's neck. He sucks the tip of Elliott's tongue, and the deep rumble of a moan in response drives him wild. 

"Where the hell did they run off to?" An all too familiar voice complains from nearby, and Elliott freezes against Tae Joon, eyes wide. During the second of silence, Tae Joon notices something hard against his hip, and bites back a moan at the last second, reluctantly letting go. When Elliott pulls away, the cold air hits him, making him wish he could stay close to the man and keep kissing him for as long as he could, but instead he reaches up a hand to smooth down his hair and watches as Elliott steps around the corner, reluctantly following.

"Sorry, wanted to have a smoke." Elliott grins, and Octavio pouts.

"Amigo, you should have said, I'd have joined you." He whines, and Tae Joon tries not to smile. 

"Yuh should quit that nonsense, Elliott." Ajay scolds, and the man nods in reply.

"So you've told me, Ajay." He groans, and pulls out his phone. "Damn, is that the time?" 

Tae Joon follows suit, checking the time against the bright screen, and notices he has a text from Mila. He ignores it for now. 

"We should really get going." Octavio rolls his eyes, as if he didn't want to leave just yet, but Ajay nods in agreement. 

"It was nice meeting you, Tae Joon." She smiles, and he nods at her.

"Same for you." He replies, and Octavio is already turning to walk away, whistling loudly. 

"Oh, you guys go ahead, I'll catch up." Elliott says, casually, and Tae Joon feels his heart jump. The pair are quick to leave until it's just them again, alone, and Elliott grins at him sheepishly. "So, uh… Guess I'll see you tomorrow?" 

"Tomorrow?" Tae Joon asks, cocking his head in confusion, and Elliott nods, taking a step forward so they're close again, and _oh wow_. Without his platform shoes, Elliott is _way_ taller. Like, Tae Joon can nearly fit under his nose kind of tall. Elliott lingers for a second before leaning in, pressing a kiss to the skin under Tae Joon's ear that makes his breath hitch. "I've got to return your coat, don't I?" He asks, smirking, and then turns, walking away and leaving a very flustered man behind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a like and a comment if you enjoyed, it let's me know I'm doing good!


	12. Chapter 12

Tae Joon couldn't stop licking his lips. Usually biting them was a nervous habit of his, but this was different. He could still  _ taste _ Elliott, and the memory of the kiss kept invading his mind at inopportune times - like every time he texted him, for example. Which was often enough, considering they were having a conversation. Elliott was filling him in about what happened in the movie, and how Octavio had nearly gotten himself kicked out for booing the screen. Tae Joon had rushed to his room after being accosted by Mila, eagerly asking him how it went, and if they'd kissed (he had pretended to be angry to cover his embarrassment), and now he was lying on his bed, phone not leaving his hand as he awaited a response. He's sure his face was permanently reddened, and he had a fluttery sort of feeling in his stomach. He, as Mila had put it, ' _ had it bad _ '. The familiar buzz of his phone sends another wave of heat to his face, and his hands shake as he inputs his password.

**Elliott: You got plans tomorrow?**

The question makes his pulse quicken and his mouth dry.

**TJ: Nope, why?**

Okay, so maybe he wasn't the best at texting. Did he come off too hostile? Tae Joon sweats, wondering just what Elliott had in mind. Returning his coat wouldn't take a whole day, so just what did Elliott have planned? 

**Elliott: You still owe me a movie, Wiretap.**

**Elliott: Since you fell asleep on me**

**Elliott: And the movie at the theater was shitty.**

**Elliott: So maybe we could watch one tomorrow? Out of your stash so I know it'll be good?**

The texts came through in quick succession, and as Tae Joon scanned through them, his brows arching further with each vibration tone. His fingers race across the keyboard, and he's sending the message, typos and all.

**TJ: yuo want to hnga out here?!**

**TJ: *you**

**TJ: *hang**

**Tj: fuck**

He winced at the hastily reply, wondering what Elliott would think; he hoped he wasn't coming across desperate, or uninterested, or… Conversations were hard, and even harder over text. 

**Elliott: Unless you're not down**

**Elliott: It's cool**

**Elliott: We could watch one over the computer again?**

Fuck. Tae Joon sighs, biting his lip, and then he thinks of the kiss again, almost distracting hismself from the dilemma at hand; He really was a mess. Tae Joon eagerly wanted to spend more time with Elliott, and maybe if he came over, Elliott would give him more of those casual touches Tae Joon had been so desperately clinging on to, but if Elliott was here, he had more chance of making a fool out of himself again. Because, really, who goes on a date and falls asleep fifteen minutes in? But Elliott had kissed him back, so clearly there was something between them, right? Tae Joon, for the second time this evening, is bold, and types out his response.

**TJ: No, I'd love to. My sister Mila is going out on a date tomorrow so you could come over then?**

He still spends some time toying with the wording, replacing ' _ can _ ' with ' _ could _ ' and wondering if it was too forward. If he mentioned Mila was out on a date, did that make it sound like he was hoping they'd be having one too? Hopefully not, because he hits send before he can talk himself out of it all together. 

**Elliott: Cool, what time should I swing by?**

Tae Joon breathes a sigh of relief. He texts back the time he's pretty sure Mila said, and then erases it and adds half an hour onto that. She was always running late, so it was best to avoid an awkward situation if possible. 

**Elliott: Awesome, looking forward to it!**

**Elliott: Man, that the time? I gotta catch my beauty sleep! Night, see you tomorrow!**

Tae Joon bites back the urge to respond with something cheesy like ' _ but you're already beautiful _ ' and responds with a curt, and more importantly, safe goodnight. And then he safely plugs his phone in to charge away from arms reach of his bed, and spends a few moments lying face down against the mattress. Elliott was coming  _ here _ ,  _ tomorrow _ . He couldn't believe it. But, true to his word, it's late when Tae Joon checks the time, half two in the morning, in fact, and he huffs. He had to be up early tomorrow, but not for class. Mila had phoned up for him, spinning the story about how he was ill and would be unable to attend for a few days. No, tomorrow he had a job interview. He had submitted his final draft on the drone, and a company interested in the design that was (thank God) not Hammond Robotics, had offered to buy it off him, and what's more, give him a working position within the company as an engineer for the unit the drones would be used in. He could hardly believe that either, but it was true. He finally had a decent, and  _ legal _ job, and he was going to have a second date with the man he had undeniably developed feelings for. All in the same week. Tae Joon felt on top of the world as he readied himself for bed that night, unable to wipe the smile from his face as he settled into his sheets, feeling more at ease than he ever had done in his life.

When he wakes up, he immediately reaches for his phone, checking to see if he had any messages from Elliott.

**Elliott: Morning!**

**Elliott: Still asleep huh?**

**Elliott: Wish that was me, Octavio pulled me out to the gym at 6AM :(**

Attached was a selfie, of Elliott in a tight tank top drenched with sweat, and his skin seemed almost like it was glowing. His damp hair stuck to his forehead but he looked no less beautiful as he grinned into the camera, a wink directed to him and  _ oh _ . What a sight to wake up to. Tae Joon barely notices Octavio in the corner of the photo, throwing up devil horns with his green tipped hair ruffled wildly atop his head, he was just so focused on Elliott. The grin curls at his lips and he can't quite stop it, smiling at his phone as he types out a response. 

**TJ: Sorry, might be quiet today, got a thing to go to. Still good for tonight?**

He sets down his phone, reluctantly, and begins stretching out the tension in his shoulders. He had about an hour before the interview began, and then the date- or hangout, he still wasn't sure, was scheduled for seven. Tae Joon leaves his bed, heading to his closet to pick out some of his nice looking clothes, a dress shirt and slacks. He dresses quickly, taking a second to look in the mirror and mess with his hair. He's unsure of what to do with it, and ultimately decides slicking it back as neatly as he could looks best. He grabs his coat, an older one he used to wear a lot, and his shoes and tie, and steps into the living room where Mila was already awake.

"Morning, sleepyhead." She teases, and he drops the items by the door before making his way to the coffee machine. "Still grumpy?"

"I'm not grumpy." He huffs. Mila shoots him a smirk.

"Uh huh, sure." She says, clearly unconvinced. "C'mon, can't I ask my darling baby brother how his date went last night?" She goes to ruffle his hair, and he's quick to stop her with a whine.

"Mila, come on! Not today, I've got to look good." He smooths down his hair again, clearly anxious. "And it wasn't a date." 

"The boy you liked invited you out for a movie. That's a date." She tuts, rolling her eyes. "You still never told me if you guys kissed." He's reluctant to answer, but the violent flush of his cheeks says more than his words could have. "Oh my god you did, didn't you?!" Her face lights up with mischievous intent, and Tae Joon groans.

"Shut up!" He begs her, but she steps in closer, pinching his cheek.

"Look at you, growing up!" Mila squeals, and he fights to bat her hand away. "So, tongue?" She asks casually, as if she was discussing the weather, and he nearly spits out his freshly made coffee.

"Mila! I'm not discussing this with you!" He yells, probably a little louder than necessary, but he felt as if he was about to combust. Her laughter was loud and gleeful, but she punches him on the arm and he can't bring himself to be mad at her. 

"Okay, okay. At least walk me to work though, I'll buy you breakfast." 

Tae Joon nods, gulping down another swig of coffee to finish it quicker, and he watches as Mila grabs her things. He was nervous, to say the least. Once he's done with the mug, he deposits it in the sink and heads over to the front door to tug on the shoes, lacing them securely. Next came the tie, which he struggled with, until his sister came up to him and pulled the material from his hands, looping it around her own neck to tie before handing him the completed knot. He thanks her with a mumble, and slips it on, tightening the tie securely before pulling on the coat. "You got this, Tae." 

He didn't feel like he did. Soon enough, they're stood outside the cafe, and Mila enters and returns with a bacon sandwich for him. "Hey, Tae Joon?" She asks as he turns, and when he faces her again, her arms are wrapping around him tightly, and she squeezes him. "You're going to do great." She mumbles against his forehead, before letting go and waving to him, walking inside. His eyes watered with tears, and he nodded to himself for a moment, swallowing the lump in his throat. It wasn't often now that Mila hugged him, as he'd grown an aversion to it as a teenager and never really bridged the gap afterwards. It felt nice, comforting. He'd missed it. When he finally comes to his senses and wipes at his eyes behind his glasses, he begins to eat, walking over to the company building he was so reluctant and yet so excited to get to. He could do this.

  
  


Tae Joon kicks off his shoes with a groan, sighing at the freeing feeling. They were new, and pinched at his feet uncomfortably. The interview had taken much longer than anticipated, as he had went over the schematics in detail to a small board, explaining and answering questions as they cropped up, and he had only gotten back home now. That was, of course, after he had went to the store to stock up on more fresh produce, thinking about maybe cooking something with Mila over the next few days. He begins to put the groceries away, humming to himself contently. He pays no mind to the sound of the bathroom door opening, and out steps his sister, twisting a strand of hair nervously between her fingers. It was unusual to see her with her hair looking so frizzy, and even she looked frustrated. 

"Bad hair day?" He asks her, smiling, and she sighs. 

"Too damn right, it won't lie flat, and I can't go out looking like this!" She whines, throwing up her hands in annoyance. 

"Calm down, Mila." Tae Joon soothes, closing the fridge now that the last of the food had been put away. He walks over to the couch and motions to the floor. "Sit."

When Mila is sat with her back to him, kneeled on her legs, he takes her hair between his hands and begins to part it with practiced ease, and pretty soon, Tae Joon is crossing the strands into an intricate looking braid. 

"It's been a while since you've done this, I thought you would have forgotten how." Mila laughs softly, and Tae Joon smiles down at her, tying the end of her hair with an elastic. It was always a comfort thing for them both, it kept Tae Joon's hands busy and calmed Mila down, especially after one of her more severe fits, but she didn't have those much anymore since she'd begun taking medication. 

"There, better?" He asks softly, and Mila stands, moving over to the bathroom once more to check her appearance in the mirror. When she returns, she hugs him tightly, grinning. 

"Tae, you're a life saver, seriously!" Mila laughs, and he hugs her back, eyeing the time. 

"Mila, you're going to be late!" He exclaims, and she quickly lets go, pecking him on the cheek with a mischievous smile.

"Okay, I'm going! No wild parties while I'm out, yeah?"

"Oh ha ha." Tae Joon rolls his eyes, but he's smiling. "Enjoy yourself." 

"I will, thanks again TJ!" Mila calls as she slips out the front door, and then Tae Joon starts, jumping when his phone buzzes in his pocket. 

**Elliott: OMW, hope you picked something good.**

Shit. The living room was messy, and he had less than twenty minutes to make things look at least presentable. He begins to pick up loose objects scattered about, moving them off to the side and cleaning anything that looked too messy with an almost frantic pace until the knock at the door startles him. Tae Joon swallows thickly, suddenly filled with apprehension. He stands there for a moment, frozen with panic until he hears Elliott's voice mumbling from outside the door, and he snaps out of it enough to answer. When Tae Joon opens the door, Elliott is stood there with a shy smile that widens when he sees the man. 

"Oh, hey! I uh, thought I had the wrong place for a minute there." Elliott laughs awkwardly. "C-Can I come in?" 

"Oh, ya." Tae Joon mumbles, stepping aside to let the man in. "How was class?" 

"Boring, the usual. You're really not missing much." Elliott hums, and when Tae Joon shuts the door, he notices the man staring at him, as if taking him in.

"I had a job interview today." He explains, fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve.

"Oh yeah? How'd it go?" 

"I got the job!" He grins, and Elliott cheers, shooting him a smile that sends his heart racing. 

"Aw, good job man! I'm happy for you." Elliott says, and then Tae Joon realises they're both still awkwardly stood by the door, and close to each other, too. "Um, I brought your coat." He mumbles, handing the man the jacket, and Tae Joon moves it to hang on the railing to the side. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it. I figured you'd need it, last night was…" He trails off, flushing. Elliott reaches forward a hand, hesitant, and grips the end of Tae Joon's tie, wrapping it around his hand and pulling him in closer. He brushes his lips over Tae Joon's, warm breath ghosting over his skin. 

"Got to admit you look good like that." Elliott mumbles quietly, and then he's closing the gap, kissing Tae Joon with a slow but eager edge, and Tae Joon's hands clasp at the back of Elliott's neck. Then he's pulling away, letting go of the fabric to rest both his hands on either side of Tae Joon's hips, and they stand panting for air. "I… Is this happening or-" Elliott starts, then sighs, eyes closing. "Look, I'm not going to lie. I like you, o-okay? A lot, and…. And I want this, but only if you do too." He finishes his sentence, reopening his eyes to gauge Tae Joon's reaction. "I-Is this a date?" He asks, further clarifying himself, and the blush on the other man's face is absolutely adorable. Tae Joon searches for his words, mouth agape in awe. 

"You like me?" He asks in shock. "I-I never thought…" he trails off, unsure of how to continue. "Y-Yes, yes please. Fuck- I mean… I really like you too, Elliott." He stutters out sentence fragments, face feeling like it was on fire. There's a silence between them as Elliott cups the man's jaw, bringing him in close again to press another kiss to his lips.

"Shit, I'm glad that's out of the way." He laughs, pressing his forehead to Tae Joon's. "Now, about this movie." 

"O-Oh, ya. I'll go change and we can get started." He's reluctant to pull away, especially when Elliott is so close and is touching him like this, but he does do with an incredible amount of self control, pretty much collapsing against the door when he enters his room. He couldn't believe it.  _ Elliott liked him and this was a date _ . He's shaking slightly as he undoes his tie, throwing it to land on his computer chair, and then his shirt and slacks follow. Tae Joon pulls out a fresh pair of sweatpants, hastily stuffing the old pair into the laundry basket. He pulls on the clothing as well as one of his comfortable oversized shirts, then moves to his collection of movies. He wanted to pick something Elliott would like, so maybe something similar to what they watched before? Eventually he settles on a film, picking up the casing and opening his door, stepping back into the room where Elliott was still stood. "You could have sat down." Tae Joon points out, walking over to the tv to insert the disk before sitting down on the couch. With Tae Joon's instruction, Elliott sits, smiling sheepishly. 

"I didn't want to be rude." He mumbles, and Tae Joon finds it adorable. He's about to click play on the remote when his stomach rumbles, and Elliott speaks up. "Hungry? Damn, me too. Wanna get take out?"

"Ya, but let me pay." Tae Joon nods, "What do you want?" 

"Pizza maybe? And uh, I don't mind splitting the bill, if you-"

"No, I'm paying." He insists, shooting Elliott a stern look. "And pizza sounds good."

  
  


Food ordered, Tae Joon presses play on the movie, hoping silently that Elliott would enjoy it, and he's so distracted with his thoughts and his eyes trained on the screen that he doesn't notice Elliott slowly shuffling closer over the course of the film until he's right next to him, sliding an arm across his shoulders to pull him in close. 

"I-Is this okay?" He asks softly, and Tae Joon nods, face reddened as he catches the smell of Elliott's cologne. He's anxious for a few minutes, fighting the urge not to fidget, but soon enough he's leaning into Elliott's embrace, comfortable as he watches the screen. And then there's a knock at the door, and the warmth of Elliott's form is leaving his side to retrieve their pizza with the money Tae Joon had already set out on the coffee table. "Oh man, I'm so hungry!" Elliott groans, setting the box down and opening it up to grab a slice, biting into it. " 's good!" He speaks with a hand over his mouth, and when he's swallowed the food, he sits back down, embarrassed when he noticed he was speaking with his mouth full. "Sorry." 

"Don't worry about it." Tae Joon laughs, and then Elliott is pulling him in close again, this time with an arm around his waist. 

"I'm not being too clingy am I? I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Elliott asks, unsure for a moment until Tae Joon smiles at him.

"No, this is… Really nice." Tae Joon admits, face flushing, and Elliott smiles. 

"Cool, now eat something will ya? You're making me feel greedy."

Tae Joon and Elliott are eventually lulled into silence, watching the movie and occasionally taking another slice of pizza until the box is empty and they're cuddled together, completely comfortable in each others presence. Tae Joon pays no mind to Elliott's shifting, until he feels warm breath against the skin of his neck, and his heart begins to race. He keeps his eyes focused on the screen, but he found himself suddenly uninterested in the movie when Elliott presses a chaste kiss to his neck, and he had to fight back the urge to moan. His eyelids flutter at the feeling, and when Elliott squeezes softly at his hip and presses another kiss to his neck, his breathing hitches. Tae Joon bites his lip, slightly embarrassed he was getting worked up by something so small, but he  _ couldn't help it.  _ He didn't want to tell Elliott to stop, he was enjoying the touches, but things would quickly get awkward if he continued. Another kiss to the sensitive skin makes Tae Joon mentally curse, and he can feel his cock hardening, twitching with interest in his sweatpants. Elliott's mouth leaves a hot trail as it moves from his neck up to his jaw, clearly more interested in the man beside him than the movie, and Tae Joon lets out a shuddering breath which catches his attention. 

"I-I'm sorry." He stutters, face red as he averts his eyes. Elliott's hand cups his chin, pulling his head back to look into his eyes, and then he's kissing Tae Joon on the lips again, licking into his mouth. Tae Joon whimpers into the kiss, hands clutching at Elliott's curls, and just like that, the movie is forgotten as Elliott moves to swing a leg over Tae Joon's hips, straddling him. Their kiss deepens as Elliott tilts his head, humming when Tae Joon sucks on his tongue needily, and he rolls his hips down into the man below him. Tae Joon moans loudly, gripping at Elliott's waist, face flushed a deep red. " _ Ah _ ! W-Wait!" He exclaims, and Elliott pulls away, lifting up as if to pull away if needs be. 

"Do you want me to stop?" He asks, eyeing the man cautiously, and Tae Joon shakes his head. 

"N-No, I just…" He sighs, trying to find the words. "I've never really… Done this before. O-Or I have, once, but-" he swallows thickly, suddenly his throat was dry. Elliott moves to sit back at Tae Joon's side, and grabs at his hand, squeezing reassuringly. "Okay, so um. I dated this girl once, she was one of Mila's friends and she liked me so I agreed. We started kissing and stuff, and… Um." He flushes again, clearly embarrassed, but he fights to continue. "S-She started touching me, just… Through my pants… And I… You know…" He looks away, jaw clenched and ears scarlet red as if he was expecting Elliott to laugh. "She got mad and started telling her friends." He mumbles, so quiet Elliott can barely hear the man. "I'd never seen Mila so angry at someone before. She nearly got suspended from school for threatening to beat her up and… Yeah." He clears his throat, still looking away. "That was years ago now and I uh… Haven't tried since… With anyone else, I mean." 

"Tae Joon." Elliott coos, squeezing the man's hand and watching as he slowly turned his gaze to look back at him. "It's okay. You were a teenager and she was your first, I get it. It happens." He reassures the man, moving in a little closer to rest a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, so if you want to just watch the movie, I will, but I just want to tell you that I don't mind." 

"You don't?" He asks, shyly, and Elliott smiles.

"Of course not. I'm not gonna get mad if you cum quick, seriously."

"You don't have to say it!" Tae Joon splutters, flushing again, and Elliott laughs.

"Sorry, sweetheart. But it's the truth." He presses a soft kiss to Tae Joon's cheek, intertwining their fingers.

"I just wanted to tell you because… I've never done anything like this before, especially…" he gestures vaguely, "I mean, I never knew I was into guys until… Until you." He mumbles, and Elliott laughs softly.

"You're too cute, sugar. I can show you, if you want?" He offers, and Tae Joon nods nervously. "Okay, let me know if you need to stop at any time and I will, yeah? If you want to stop at kissing, we can." He traces his thumb over Tae Joon's knuckles. 

"We should… Probably move to my room, um. If that's okay." The hacker says, and Elliott nods in response. 

"Lead the way, sweetheart."

Tae Joon opens his bedroom door, Elliott hot on his heels, and he's relieved that his room was at least somewhat neat, and his sheets were recently fresh. He shuts the door behind them and stands awkwardly, until Elliott lays his hands on Tae Joon's hips, pulling him softly towards the bed. "Relax, baby, I've got you." He soothes, seeing how tense the man was, and Elliott kicks off his shoes before sitting on the bed. He cups Tae Joon's jaw, smoothing his thumb over the sharpness of the bone and the action seems to calm him. "Can I kiss you?" 

"Yes." Tae Joon responds breathlessly, leaning in to meet him half way. It's slow at first, testing boundaries, but then it grows in intensity as their hunger burns, and Tae Joon cups his hands around Elliott's neck, bringing him in closer. Elliott pushes him back softly against the pillows, laying him down, and Tae Joon gasps into the kiss. 

"Still okay?" Elliott asks, and the man nods in response. Elliott follows him down, lying half his body on the other man's as his hand settled on his hip, rubbing a soothing circle there. Growing in confidence, Tae Joon deepens the kiss, and Elliott's hand slips up under his shirt, fingers smoothing against the skin of his abdomen, until Tae Joon winces. "Shit, are you okay?" Elliott worries, pulling away his hand, but Tae Joon reaches out to grab it, nodding. 

"My side still hurts, but it's not too bad. Don't stop." He explains, and Elliott is confused, hand reaching for the fabric of the hacker's shirt to pull it up and expose the skin once he's sure that the man is comfortable with that. 

"I-I did that?" He asks quietly, and when Tae Joon looks at him, he's got tears in his eyes. 

"Elliott, it's okay." 

"No, it's not. I felt so guilty for hurting you but… Fuck, look at you." His fingers brush tenderly over the purple splotched bruising across Tae Joon's side, tracing where it faded to sickly yellows and greens with shaking hands. "I'm sorry." He croaks, tears leaking down his cheeks. "Fuck, baby I'm so sorry." 

"Elliott? It's okay, I'm alright." Tae Joon strokes a hand through the man's hair, calming him until the feeling of Elliott's breath hits the skin where the bruising was. The man hums, stroking across the area before kissing it softly, as if apologising. The breath Tae Joon let's out is shaky, eyes closing at the sensation as he wound his fingers in Elliott's hair, remembering something the man had said from the video he'd sent a while back.

_ "I'd let you wrap your hands in my hair and just fuckin' let you use me. I don't just let anyone touch my hair, either, Wiretap. But you I might just make an exception for." _

Tae Joon swallows hard, and tugs. The sound Elliott makes goes straight to his dick, and the man looks up at him with eyes half lidded, gasping. 

"Fuck, Tae Joon, sweetheart. You're killing me here." He moans, leaning up to kiss him hungrily, pressed firmly over the man with arms braced either side of his head. He kissed desperately, and Tae Joon was eager to keep up, feeling Elliott pressed firmly against his hip was almost too much to bear, and he broke away from his lips with a whine. 

"Too warm." He complains, and Elliott pulls away to shed his shirt, dropping it over to the side and fiddling with the hem of Tae Joon's own shirt that had been pushed up out of the way.

"Can I?" 

"Yes please." Tae Joon whimpers, lifting so Elliott had easier access to remove the clothing, and then the obstruction is gone, and Elliott is pressing his bare skin against Tae Joon's, hands wandering over the warm expanse of his torso. "Elliott!" He whines, bucking his hips up into the other's when the man begins to kiss across his shoulders, the feeling of his beard scraping across his skin was strange, but welcome. 

"Fuck, baby. Would you let me mark you?" Elliott asks softly, eyes gentle and pleading as he looks up at the man under him who bites his lip, nodding.

"Yes please." 

Elliott begins to kiss his way back up to Tae Joon's neck, leaving open mouthed kisses and licks against the skin until he settled comfortably at the spot that made him moan, sucking the flesh between his lips and dragging his teeth across the skin. Tae Joon's nails scrape against the shaved hair at the back of Elliott's head, whining at the peculiar feeling, and when Elliott comes up to admire his work a moment later, he grins proudly. 

"Still doing okay?" He asks, stroking a hand across Tae Joon's cheek.

"More than okay… Um, could you…" His face reddens, and he trails off.

"You want me to touch you?" Elliott asks, voice low and husky. 

"Yes please, Elliott."

"Sure thing, sugar." 

Elliott's hand begins to slide up, much to Tae Joon's confusion, and Elliott pinches the man's nipple between his fingers, rolling it gently and provoking a loud moan from him. He leans down, taking the other between his lips and flicking his tongue against the bud, scraping his teeth across the sensitive flesh. Tae Joon grips the curls between his fingers, squirming and whining at the sensations.

"Jebal, Elliott!" Tae Joon cries out, gasping when the man switches sides, giving the other nipple the same treatment. 

"You are too damn adorable, sweetheart." Elliott coos, pressing a kiss into the man's sternum. Tae Joon huffs, drawing a laugh from the other. "More?" 

"Y-Yes." 

Elliott nods, tracing a hand across Tae Joon's stomach, admiring the way it hitches at the touch, and then he cups the man through his sweatpants and the moan Tae Joon lets out is  _ loud _ . "Shit, Elliott please!" Tae Joon begs, rolling his hips up into the warmth of his hand to chase the pleasurable spark that flashes up his spine.

"You want me to touch you here?" Elliott asks, voice husky and quiet, and Tae Joon nods eagerly, biting his lip hard. "Can I take these off?" He asks, hooking a finger under the waistband of Tae Joon's sweatpants, and the man practically begs him to hurry. "Alright, sugar, I've got you." He coos, tugging the material down the man's thighs, and discarding them off to the side once they were removed. He leans in to kiss Tae Joon again, but is stopped by his hand.

"Take yours off too." Tae Joon mumbles, clearly embarrassed, but Elliott is quick to agree, unbuttoning and tugging down the fly of his jeans to throw them off to the side. Elliott was tenting in his boxers, the yellow fabric stretched and Tae Joon found himself unable to stop staring, as if realising this was really happening. 

"You alright? Need me to tone it down?" Elliott asks, squeezing his hand, and Tae Joon ponders for a moment before nodding. Elliott smiles, stroking a hand through Tae Joon's hair that had begun to mess up due to the heat, the gel coming unstuck and small strands of his hair falling in his face. "You know, I normally don't sleep with someone on the second date." Elliott laughs shyly, pressing a kiss to the man's cheek. "There's just something about you." The trail continues, across his face and nose, eventually reaching his lips, and Tae Joon pulls him in, relaxing as they kiss softly, Elliott's large hand cupping his cheek with his thumb rubbing across his cheekbone. 

"C-Can I touch you?" Tae Joon asks, as if he was unsure, and Elliott shifts so the man can sit up, watching as the dark eyes scanned over him. Tae Joon reaches out a hand, hesitant, and presses it to the skin, enthralled. He traces the hard line of the man's abdomen, admiring the muscle there and trailing his fingers down the hair across his stomach. Elliott looked unfairly good, sat back with his legs spread, chest heaving like that, and Tae Joon wanted more. His hand slides further, over the cock trapped in the yellow briefs, and Elliott moans huskily, pushing up into the touch. 

"Fuck, baby." Elliott gasps, eyelashes fluttering. "You don't have to do anything you do-"

"Show me how to touch you." Tae Joon demands, and he flushes red at his own confidence. "I want to make you feel good." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes." Tae Joon's fingers curl under the waistband of Elliott's underwear, and the man lifts his hips to help him remove them, his cock bared to the cool air. It was already drooling precum, a shiny, flushed head peaking out from the foreskin, and Elliott is quick to survey Tae Joon's reaction, as if checking he was still okay. 

"Let me just-" He mumbles, moving to sit back against the pillows, and directing the hacker to sit next to him. "I'll guide your hand." He explains, before pausing. "Um, do you have any lube?" 

"Ya, hold on." Tae Joon mumbles, leaving the bed to stand on unsteady legs. He makes his way over to his computer desk, pulling open the middle drawer and bringing out a small bottle. Mila had gotten it for him as a joke one year, a small stocking filler christmas present he hadn't ever thought he would use, but now he's silently thanking her as he makes his way back over to the bed, kneeling next to Elliott. He uncaps the top and squeezes a generous amount into his palm, unsure of what to do with his hand after that until Elliott's takes hold of it, and the man's hand dwarfs his own. He feels Elliott moving, not a firm grip but more of a suggestion as he moves Tae Joon's hand to his cock, and he notices it twitches in excitement, drooling out a little more precum. Tae Joon wraps his fingers around Elliott, and the man chokes out a moan, hand squeezing his. 

"Just a little tighter, baby." He coaxes, and when Tae Joon adjusts his grip, Elliott's shaky breath by his ear tells him all he needs to know. "Have you ever touched yourself before?" Elliott asks, voice deep and low, and Tae Joon swallows thickly, nodding. "Just like that. Just slide up-" Elliott moves their hands in sync, pulling the foreskin up over the head, "A-And down." Tae Joon follows the instruction, feeling Elliott's palm sweating against the back of his hand. "Mmphh, so good." He coos, pressing a kiss to the tender skin on Tae Joon's neck. The action sends sparks down his spine, and Tae Joon begins to move of his own accord, watching Elliott's expressions for guidance. It was similar to touching himself, although he was still unsure of just how good a job he was doing, even if the quiet breathy moans the man was letting out were a good identifier. 

"Is it good?" He finds himself asking, licking his lips anxiously, and Elliott's nods.

"Yes." He breathes, eyes shut firmly. "You're doing so well for me, making me feel good." 

The praise goes straight to his own neglected dick, and he can't stop the whine that escapes from between his lips. 

"I want you to touch me too… Please." Tae Joon says, and Elliott is quick to agree, massaging him through the confines of his underwear where a sizable wet spot had formed. 

"Can I take these off?"

"Please." He begs, and Elliott is quick to tug the offending fabric from him. 

"Fuck, look at you." He mumbles, biting his lip, and Tae Joon flushes. Elliott fumbles with the lube, squeezing the liquid onto Tae Joon's cock and curling his fist around the eager flesh, jerking with practiced movements that have Tae Joon's face pushing into the man's shoulder. Elliott clearly knew what he was doing, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to last long. Instead, he finds himself trying to stay distracted, pouring all of his focus into making Elliott feel good by speeding up his hand, adding small flourishes of his wrist that have the man's breathing kicking up a notch. The wet sound of their movements reverberates through the room, mingled with their moans and cries of pleasure until Tae Joon feels that all too familiar tightening in his gut and he lets go of Elliott to grab his wrist. 

"W-Wait!" He cries, hips bucking up into the man's hand as he wills himself to calm down. 

"Do you want me to stop?" Elliott asks, pausing his movements with a concerned look.

"Yes- Ah, N-No… I-" Tae Joon fights to regain his breath enough to speak a coherent sentence. "I-I just… Don't want to finish too soon." He admits, averting his eyes off to the side. 

"Tae Joon, you can cum, I'm not going to be mad." Elliott coos, removing his hand in favour of pushing in closer, pressing a kiss to the man's throat. 

"But I want to make you feel good. You deserve to feel good, b-because…" He takes a shuddering breath in, "Because you make me feel happy like I've never felt before." It's then he realises he's crying, and he curses himself for being so weak. So pathetic.

"Sweetheart, look at me." Elliott asks, tilting his chin with a finger so they were eye to eye. "I'm here for you, however you need me. If you want me to make you feel good, I will. Whether that be emotionally-" He takes a second to flash him a smile. "Or physically." Tenderly, he places another kiss to the tanned skin of Tae Joon's neck. "We both want to make eachother feel good. There's a few solutions to that, and if you want to leave things here, I will, but…" Elliott bites his lip, unsure of whether to continue. 

"No, please, I'll do anything. I want you, Elliott." 

"Anything? W-Would you… Fuck me? I have a condom in my jeans, and I-I mean, no pressure or anything but-" 

"Can I?" Tae Joon asks, mouth agape. 

"I'd love nothing more. Um, I'd need a bit of time to prep, but-"

"Show me what to do." The statement takes Elliott aback, and he hesitates.

"Are you sure?" 

"I want to make you feel good, I'd like you to show me more." 

"Fuck, okay. C'mere." Elliott moans, pulling the man in for a kiss and dragging him on top, tonguing at his bottom lip hungrily and biting down against it. Tae Joon happily reciprocates, licking into his mouth and moaning when the man sucks on the tip of his tongue. Elliott's hands cup the back of Tae Joon's neck, pulling him in closer as he tilts his head, deepening the kiss as much as he could before they are forced to part for air. Tae Joon reaches for the bottle of lube that had fallen to the side, coating his fingers generously. Elliott grabs his wrist softly, moving the hand between his spread legs with shaky breath, "Start with one finger. Just… Push inside, slow." He explains, and Tae Joon nods, circling the rim of muscle with the pad of his middle finger, eyes vigilantly trained on Elliott's face so he could stop at the slightest sign of discomfort. Sucking in a nervous breath, Tae Joon presses more firmly against Elliott's entrance, and soon, he's opening up for him. "That's it. Fuck, baby." Elliott gasps, feeling as the finger entered him to the knuckle. "You watched me fuck myself on my fingers before didn't you?" He asks, pupils blown with lust.

"Yes." 

"Good, start moving. Not too fast." He instructs, and Tae Joon obeys, gently starting to move his arm. "That's it, sweetheart. M-Maybe just crook your fingers a little bi-  _ oh _ !" Elliott moans loudly, hips rolling down against the man's hand. "Just like that, fuck, more! Add another finger!" Elliott pleads, lip caught between his teeth. Tae Joon pulls out slightly before working in another beside the first, continuing his movements in an attempt to hit the spot that made Elliott moan like that again. Remembering the man's actions from his cam shows, Tae Joon begins to scissor his fingers, unsure if he was doing the right thing until Elliott whimpers. "Yeah, stretch me open baby. One more then I can take your cock." 

Tae Joon moans, burying his face into the crook of Elliott's neck as he adds another finger, resisting the urge to grind into Elliott's thigh. He was so turned on, so desperate, but the pleasure he took in making Elliott feel good was enough to sustain him. He peppers kisses across the skin, feeling as the man moved into his movements until Elliott sobs, pushing Tae Joon away. "P-Please, fuck, I- Just f-fuck me please, I need it so ba-badly." He whines, brows knitted in a pained pleasure, and Tae Joon kisses the tip of his nose softly.

"Condom?" He asks, removing his fingers.

"I-In the fr-front pocket of my jeans." The man stutters out, mourning the loss of contact.

Leaning over the side of the bed, Tae Joon reaches for Elliott's pants, fishing around in the pocket until he found what he was looking for. 

"Good thing you brought this." He laughs, teasing the man who simply whines in response. He stutters out a few sentence fragments about how he didn't mean to be presumptuous, but eventually gives up and watches intently as Tae Joon tears open the foil. He had never put on a condom before, but he knew what to do well enough from the lectures back in health class. He rolls the rubber down his length, making sure it was correct and secure before humming, once again reaching for the bottle that was quickly becoming familiar to the pair in order to slick up. "Are you ready?" He asks the man, suddenly hit with a wave of nervousness, and Elliott opens his eyes. 

"Wait!" He exclaims, and then looks sheepishly to the man hovering over him. "Um… Cou-Could I ride you?" 

"Fuck." Tae Joon groans, nodding enthusiastically. "Yes please." 

The position swap is quick, Tae Joon's back presses against the sheets and Elliott settles over him, taking in the sight of the man.

"You look so good, baby." He coos, running a hand down the length of Tae Joon's chest, the other hand secured at the base of the man's cock to keep him in place. He eventually lowers down, eyelids fluttering closed as he groans out, deep and guttural as he's stretched open. Once he's firmly seated against Tae Joon's hips, he opens his eyes to check on the man, and he looks as if he was in absolute bliss. His face was flushed, eyes teary as his breath hitches, knuckles white as he gripped the sheets to avoid bucking up. "You okay, sweetheart?" Elliott asks, and the reply he gets in return sends a spike of heat right through him.

"Please." Tae Joon begs, almost drooling from the feeling of the warm tightness around him. "Elliott, please." 

Elliott reaches for Tae Joon's hands, bringing them to settle on his hips, and he squeezes appreciatively. "Y-You feel so good." He moans, throwing back his head when Elliott rolled his hips. 

"You too, baby. You're so big. So deep inside me." Elliott gasps, bracing on his knees to raise himself up before dropping down, and Tae Joon jumps, gripping onto the man tighter. 

"Ah, feels good!" Tae Joon cries out, burying his face between Elliott's pecs. He pulls the man down against him, craving the skin on skin contact as he positions his legs, planting his feet into the mattress to fuck up into him. 

"That's it, baby. Just like that- fuck! Tae Joon!" Elliott's voice is wavering with the force of his movements, eyes clamped shut and hands a vice grip on the man's shoulders. Tae Joon buries his face into the crook of Elliott's neck, moaning against the skin there and kissing where he could. "P-Please, mark me." Elliott begs, and Tae Joon is eager to comply, sucking bruises into the column of his throat. He pulls away to inspect them, and then goes back in, sucking the flesh back into his mouth to darken the bruises, as if not satisfied with the first attempt. Seeing the evidence that he was there, that he was fucking Elliott did something to him, and he felt sinister for liking it. He wasn't sure what the feeling was, but it drove him to push up harder, fuck Elliott faster, hands sliding from his hips to his ass and tightening his grip to grope the supple flesh. 

"Kiss me." Tae Joon chokes out through his noises, and Elliott leans in to push his lips against the other man's, kissing him hard and desperately between their moans. "Close!" 

He didn't want to cum yet, he wanted Elliott to be the first to feel release, but he couldn't stop himself from falling over the edge for much longer. 

"Cum for me, Tae Joon." Elliott moans, close to his ear, and as if it were a command, he obeys. 

"Ssi-bal, Elliott!" Tae Joon moans, loud and unabashed, his hips lock up as he cums, movements stilling, and Elliott coos in his ear, stroking his hair to coax him through the orgasm. He's shaking so much he can't quite take control of his body, and after he regains coherence, he feels disappointed. "I'm sorry." He mumbles, looking away from Elliott's eyes. "I wanted you to cum first." 

"It's okay, you did good, baby." Elliott smiles, pressing a kiss to Tae Joon's cheek. "I can finish myself off, if you-"

Tae Joon uses his strength to flip Elliott so his back was against the sheets, beginning to push back in and resume his rhythm. His head falls forward onto Elliott's chest at the intense over sensitivity, and his moans were breathless and high pitched. "Fu-uck, sweetheart, you don't have to-  _ Ah _ !" Elliott is cut off by a moan when Tae Joon wraps his fist around the man's cock, using the copious amounts of precum to slick his movements as he jerked in time with his hips. 

"I want to make you cum." He chokes out from his clenched jaw, pushing his face into the crook of Elliott's neck to continue marking him up, adding to the bruises that were already there. Elliott wraps his legs around Tae Joon's slender waist, bucking into the thrusts desperately. 

"You're gonna- F-fuck, honey." 

"Do I feel good?" Tae Joon asks, licking across Elliott's collarbone to collect the sweat that was pooling there. 

"S-So good!  _ Mmphh _ , I'm gonna cum!" Elliott tightens around Tae Joon, locking his legs even firmer around him too, and Tae Joon has to fight to keep moving, to bring him over the edge. Elliott moans impossibly loud as he spills, and the clenching around him makes Tae Joon cum a second time, teeth digging into the meat of Elliott's shoulder with a choked groan. "F-fuck, fuck, Tae! Baby!" Elliott cries out, holding the man tightly to him as he rode out the aftershocks. "Th-Thank you." He presses a kiss to the man's shoulder, bringing him out from his place in the crook of his neck, and Tae Joon's eyes are watery with tears from the strength of the second orgasm. His bottom lip trembles, and the rest of him is shaking too, he pulls out and Elliott removes the condom, tying it up and throwing it on the floor to deal with later before taking the man into his arms. "You did so well." He praises softly, and Tae Joon whimpers, spent. Elliott reaches over the side of the bed to find a shirt, and wipes his own stomach clean, dragging the rumpled sheets from under them and pulls them to cover them instead, kissing at the man's face softly as he recovered. 

"Stay, please." Tae Joon mumbles, half asleep, and Elliott smiles, rubbing circles into his back.

"Sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere." 

  
  
  


When Tae Joon wakes up, he feels strangely warm. He tries to roll over to the other side of the bed, hoping for it to be cooler, but he's stopped by the feeling of firm arms around his waist, and he lets out a sleepy sound of contentment, eyes opening just enough to see. Elliott was still fast asleep, lips parted as he snored softly, and Tae Joon had never seen someone look cuter. He lifts a hand, brushing some stray curls out of Elliott's face before smoothing across his jaw, pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. He wanted to stay there, cuddled in Elliott's embrace for the rest of the day, but his stomach gurgled impatiently. Sadly, he had to eat. Tae Joon removes himself as gently as possible from the man's grip, trying not to wake him as he slid from the bed, making sure to tuck the covers back over Elliott to keep him warm.

Tae Joon picks up his shirt, wrinkling his nose when he notices the rather prominent white stain on it, and discards it into the laundry basket. He takes care of the used condom on the floor too, face flushing as he throws it into his bin and covers it with some loose rubbish. Tae Joon debates pulling out a clean shirt from his wardrobe, but then he pauses, spotting Elliott's own t shirt on the floor. He picks it up, and realises with a smile that it smells just like him, slipping it over his head. The top was slightly larger than his own, covering over some of his thighs, and he slides on a pair of boxer shorts too, making sure to shut the door behind him when he enters the living room. 

"Morning sunshine! You left the tv on last night." Comes a chipper voice from behind him, and Tae Joon jumps, barely able to stop himself from screaming.

"Ssi-bal, Mila! Don't scare me like that!" He exclaims, hand over his heart as if it would quell the racing. She was still wearing the clothes she wore last night, but her makeup had been removed and her hair was down.

"Sorry, sorry. I've not long gotten in, you making breakfast?" She asks, shooting him a smile, and he nods.

"Ya, I bought groceries. Make us some coffee?" 

"Mhm."

The pair walk to the kitchen, Mila heading for the coffee machine while Tae Joon opens the fridge to begin rummaging around. He'd just picked up the carton of eggs when Mila speaks up. "So… Do I finally get to meet the guy who's been fucking my brother? I wanna do the overprotective sibling shtick." 

"Mila!" Tae Joon shrieks, nearly letting go of the packaging, and the cackling laughter his sister lets out doesn't help his bright red face.

"Well I'm sorry, but unless a ghost gave you those hickies, I have every right to meet who you're banging." 

He cups a hand over his neck, about to retort, but the sound of footsteps alerts them both, and they turn to the source- One very much still half asleep Elliott, bed hair tousled and messy. He has a dopey sort of smile on his face, scratching at his beard, and more noticeably;  _ he wasn't wearing anything but his boxers _ . The bite mark on his shoulder was strikingly obvious, looking red and slightly swollen, and Tae Joon feels a pang of guilt run through him.

"Oh… Good morning. You must be Mila. I'm Elliott." He greets, and Tae Joon sighs quietly.  _ Smooth _ . He can see Mila taking him in, a mischievous glint in her eye and like a sonar she can tell he's anxious, and he knows she's about to do something stupid.

"Tae Joon's boyfriend?" She asks, and he splutters in the background. Elliott lets out a laugh though, smiling.

"Well, I sure hope so." He replies casually, and Tae Joon is sure he could combust on the spot. Elliott sends a wink his way, and he all but short circuits. 

"Y-Ya. Elliott's my…" he trails off, swallowing hard. "Elliott's my boyfriend." He finishes, overcome with a wave of giddiness. He can't help but smile, and Mila laughs softly.

"Well aren't you two cute? But I'm hungry, so-"

"Oh, I can cook." Elliott offers, rolling his shoulders back with a cocky smile. "I've been told I make some mean pancakes." 

"Shit, that sounds good." Mila groans, "Coffee?" 

"If you don't mind, sure!" Elliott responds, grinning at Mila before making his way over to the fridge to get out the ingredients. "You look cute wearing that." He mumbles by Tae Joon's ear, before setting everything out on the counter, and Tae Joon flushes red, playing with the hem of Elliott's shirt. "Mixing bowl?" 

"In here." Tae Joon bends down to get it out, and gives it to Elliott before stepping away to let him work. "How do you like your coffee?" 

"Milk, one sugar please, sugar." Elliott chuckles, winking at him. Tae Joon fixes his own and Elliott's drinks, and then Mila punches him on the arm, whisper yelling.

"Dude, what the fuck, you never told me he was hot!" 

"Was I supposed to?" He repeats back in the same tone.

"He looks like a fucking model!" She continues whisper yelling until Elliott begins humming, then takes a sip of her coffee. 

"So, you stayed with Nat last night?" He asks, back to his usual voice, and Mila's face reddens.

"Uh, yeah. It was late after the thing we went to finished and then we decided to grab a drink at a bar and Natalie said I could crash at her place because she didn't want me walking home in the dark. No biggie."

"Did you have fun?" 

"Yeah, she wants to see me again soon." Mila smiles, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I'm glad, Mila."

Once the food was served onto plates, the trio move to the living room, and Mila purposely leaves the sofa for the two boys, instead taking the armchair with a sly smile. 

"So, Elliott, what are you studying?"

Oh boy. Here came the interrogation.

"I'm in the same class as Tae Joon, actually. I'm an engineering student, following in my mom's footsteps." 

“Oh, your mom’s an engineer?” She asks, clearly curious and Elliott smiles.

“Yup, the one and only Evelyn Witt!” 

Mila’s face drops into one of shock.

“No way! Your mom was like, a household name when I was a kid- She was my idol!”

“Funny, me too.” Elliott laughs sheepishly, smiling. Tae Joon was just glad that Mila seemed to be past teasing him now, and she seemingly approved of Elliott enough. They chat through mouthfuls of food, Tae Joon occasionally interjecting with something witty to retort to Mila’s jokes, getting a laugh out of Elliott.

“So, are you and Natalie dating yet?” Tae Joon asks, smirking at Mila’s flushed stuttering.

“N-Not yet, jeez.” She eventually responds, and Elliott cocks his brow.

“Nat Paquette?”

“Yup, Mila and her finally got over their yearning and went on a date last night.” Tae Joon turns to Elliott, smiling. 

“I can’t believe you got a partner before I did, TJ. You’re growing up.” She wipes a mock tear from her eye, and Tae Joon groans. 

"You're insufferable." He sighs, and Elliott laughs. 

"You remind me of my brother." He smiles, and Tae Joon shoots him a look. There was a sadness behind his eyes, and Mila smiles sadly, as if she knew. 

Elliott groans, stretching out on Tae Joon's bed, clearly comfortable. Tae Joon is sure to shut the door behind them, so Mila couldn't peak in.

"So…" Elliott starts, smiling. "Didn't think I'd be getting myself a boyfriend so soon."

"I-I mean, Mila's just like that… If you're not comfortable-"

"Hey, I didn't say that." Elliott raises a brow, patting the mattress beside him as a hint for the man to sit down. Once Tae is close enough, Elliott scoops him into his arms, setting him down so he's straddling his waist. Elliott slips a hand up against his stomach, fingers tracing the skin there. "You look cute in that." He smiles, tugging on the hem of the shirt playfully. "You also look cute without it."

"Elliott." Tae Joon whispers, helping him remove his shirt.

"Hmm?" Elliott smiles, sliding a hand up to cup Tae Joon's jaw and bring him down for a kiss. Tae Joon gasps against his lips, tilting his head in to deepen their joining. Elliott's fingers run down the length of Tae Joon's spine, holding him carefully to him. 

Until they're interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. Elliott curses, sitting up so quickly he nearly knocks heads with Tae Joon, and he reaches for his phone, answering. "Oh, hey mom." He greets nonchalantly, fingers playing with the hair below Tae Joon's navel as he listened to what the woman had to say. "Oh, that was today? Y-Yeah, yeah, sure." He nods, lost in his focus, and Tae Joon takes the time to admire him properly. He looked prettier in person than on the screen, and he felt so much more real. He supposed that made sense - this was Elliott, not Mirage, and the cocky persona paid the bills, but this is who he really was underneath that. And Tae Joon loved it. "Okay mom, love you." Elliott finishes, smiling before hanging up. 

"Everything alright?" Tae Joon asks, and Elliott nods.

"Yeah, just… That's my cue to go. Mom needs some help in the workshop, apparently a big order just came through now that Hammond is under investigation." He explains, and then laughs. "But you wouldn't know anything about that, right?" He teases, and Tae Joon smiles back at him, chuckling softly. 

"Who's Hammond Robotics?" He presses a kiss to Elliott's lips, and works up the self control to remove himself from Elliott's lap. He watches for a second as Elliott begins gathering up his clothes that were scattered about the floor, and decides to get ready himself. He reaches for his sweatpants and a clean shirt, and when he's done, Elliott is stood with his hands in his pockets, looking… Sad? 

"Thanks for the great night, Tae Joon." He smiles, sheepish. "I kind of don't want to leave." 

"You can come back whenever you want." Tae Joon offers, stepping over to him and resting his hands on his shoulders. "Thank you Elliott… For giving me a second chance." 

"I'm glad I did, sweetheart." Elliott mumbles, bringing a hand to the back of Tae Joon's neck to pull him in. Their lips meet, almost desperately again, and it makes Tae Joon feel breathless. He didn't want Elliott to leave either. Before he can stop himself, he steps forward, pushing Elliott softly into the wall, biting at the man's bottom lip who eagerly opens up with a moan. Elliott sucks on his tongue, gripping his hips in a firm grip, and Tae Joon has to force himself to step away after parting for air. 

"Y-You should go before… You know…"

"Before I can't control myself? Good idea, sugar." Elliott chuckles, winking. Tae Joon opens his bedroom door, and the pair walk out. Mila was nowhere to be found, most likely in her room texting Natalie. "I'll catch you later then?" Elliott asks, and Tae Joon has to withhold a sigh. He wished Elliott could stay, and that they could just lie in bed all day, but he knew it wasn't practical.

"As soon as you can." Tae Joon responds, pressing another chaste kiss to the man's lips. "Text me when you get home safe." 

"I will, baby. Have a good day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a like and a comment if you enjoyed, it let's me know I'm doing good!


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